Fall At Your Feet
by bendingmirrors
Summary: An entry for the Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest. Friends since kindergarten, can Jasper and Alice find a way to let that friendship blossom into something more or will the fear of losing it hold them back? AU/AH.
1. Beginning to Know Her

**Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest**  
**Name of story: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Pen name: **bendingmirrors  
**Song story is inspired by: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Artist: **Crowded House  
**Category: **newbie  
**Main Pairing: **Jasper/Alice  
**POV: **Jasper

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all of its characters, I'm just borrowing them.

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_"I think that I'm beginning to know her_  
_Let it go_  
_I'll be there when you call"_

_**Fall At Your Feet. Crowded House**_

I met Alice on our first day of kindergarten. I had just moved to Forks from Texas, and was bewildered at the change in scenery as much as the change in my family. The change had come about after my parent's had separated, and my mother chose to move us as far away from my father as she could.

First days can always be a little frightening, but mine was made so much easier by the little firecracker who raced up to me. Alice was all eyes, hair and waving hands as she took notice of the small boy she hadn't met before. Like the little engine that could she charged at me dragging another small girl in her wake.

"I'm Mary Alice, but everyone just calls me Alice, and this is my best friend, Bella" she explained without taking a breath.

"Jasper," I replied, since her eyebrows rose at me, expecting a response.

"You can sit with me and Bella if you want. She won't mind," she declared, as she dragged me over to the table that they had obviously claimed for their own before class started for the day.

Our teacher was a kind older lady, who doted on our little group. For as annoying as Alice and I could be with our hijinks, Bella was quiet and completed all of her tasks. While Alice and I found new and interesting ways to fold our coloring pages into fun shapes to cut, Bella would color as neatly as she could. She actually tried to stay inside the lines.

Bella and Alice had been best friends for as long as they could remember. Living next door to each other, and being born within hours of each other had formed a friendship that they clung to fiercely and nourished as though they were sisters. They rarely fought, the few exceptions being when Alice tried to claim her few hours seniority when trying to protect Bella from herself.

Bella's clumsiness was a perfect foil to Alice's precise movements. Alice was constantly moving, swaying to music only she could hear; dancing lightly through the hallways of the school, and clearing a path for Bella to steam through. I generally brought up the rear of the trio, fumbling along in the wake of these two small girls who became my best friends.

We were lucky that during our elementary school years the school kept us continually in the same classes. We would graduate from one teacher to the next, and while what we learned might change, the bond between the three of us remained consistent until we arrived in junior high. At the start of our last year Edward Cullen arrived. The unusual color of his hair, coupled with his natural tendencies towards silence would have made him a target within minutes of his arrival at the school. However, Alice once again noticed the new boy, took charge, and took him under her wing. I'm sure I must have had the same overwhelmed look on my face when Alice first introduced herself to me.

He appeared to be pole-axed by the diminutive powerhouse who grabbed his arm and dragged him over to our lunch table.

"Edward, this is Bella, Jasper and I'm Alice. Sit with us, we won't bite, or ask too many questions. If you want, you can just sit there and listen. But you definitely won't be sitting and eating lunch by yourself, so suck it up and take a seat." She announced to him, releasing his arm and falling into the seat next to Bella. Edward chose the seat next to me, and we watched, amused, as Alice began describing to Bella how her morning had gone. I thought for most of our early history together that Alice had learned the art of circular breathing, because she never paused for breath.

Edward waited until Alice and Bella were deep in their conversation before he leaned close to me and whispered, "For someone so tiny, she's impossible to resist. I've never known anyone in my life to take charge so quickly and decisively." I cringed as the word tiny left his mouth; I had hoped that I could get him alone before he would utter such a red flag. Alice was never too engrossed in a conversation to miss a word like that.

"Tiny?" her voice rose. "Who are you calling tiny? You...you...giant? I'm not tiny, I'm just perfectly proportioned. Didn't your mother ever tell you that the best things come in small packages?" Her voice was well on its way to registers only audible to babies and animals by the time she had finished. Bella tried soothing Alice, but I knew it was up to me to calm this down before Alice ran Edward off, never really getting a chance to know us.

"Chill, Ali, he didn't mean anything by it. You know that's not what he meant. Take a step back and stop scaring the poor boy off!" I stood and went over to Alice, I knew that most of the time I could calm her down with a few words, but sometimes, if she'd had a bad morning, it would take a little more. I made our excuses to Bella and Edward, took Alice's hand and led her outside into the rain.

"So what the fuck happened this morning to put you in this mood, little lady?" I tried to charm her with a grin that revealed my dimples, but I wasn't sure it would actually help me this time.

Alice glared at me, making me realize that I had just dropped the f-bomb in front of her. "Shit, Alice, I'm sorry. I forgot you had that whole thing about swearing in front of a lady. That totally cracks me up, you know, Ali. You swear more than a sailor on shore leave whenever no one else is watching."

"It's not fair," she said with an almost whine in her voice. "All anyone ever notices about me is my height. Forever more I'll be known as the midget that everyone went to school with, Jasper. I don't want to be known for that, I want people to remember how great I am at ballet, or how much I've helped them." The wind down from her little tirade seemed to take some of the wind out of her sails, and she slumped closer to the ground.

"For what it's worth, Ali, I will always remember you as the powerhouse who made my first day at school bearable, fun even. Compared to me, half of our classmates are shrimps, you can't hold that against me. And you can't judge Edward for what he noticed about you first, either. And, in case it escaped your attention, there were some serious sparks happening between him and our Bella..." I trailed off, hoping that I had distracted her enough that we could go back inside and she would be her fun-loving self again, charming to one and all.

"Ooh, and you dragged me out here where we can't watch?" she brightened considerably, raising up on her tiptoes to look back into the cafeteria through the window in the doors.

From our vantage point we could just make out Bella and Edward, who were still at our table; although Edward had moved around next to Bella now, so they were both facing us. They had turned their chairs inwards and appeared deep in discussion with each other. I could make out the deep flush on Bella's cheeks as she tried her very best to flirt with the new boy. Alice and I cracked up laughing, holding onto our sides and each other as we smushed our noses up against the glass. We failed to pay attention to anything else other than our friends, which resulted in the pair of us being thrown away from the door as Mike Newton stormed out of the cafeteria through the doors we were pressed against.

I was terrified that I would accidentally squash Alice, so I grabbed her in my arms and tried to keep her above me as we fell, landing in an ungraceful pile of limbs at Mike Newton's feet. He glanced down at us, but simply continued on his way over the top of us, obviously upset at something. I had a sneaking suspicion that Newton's problem was currently sitting at the table making eyes at Bella. Alice looked up at me from her current position on my chest and broke out into more giggles.

By the time Alice and I had gotten up, straightened our clothes and started to move back towards the cafeteria the bell had rung and we had to take off to our afternoon classes. We separated at the doors with Alice racing over to Bella, grabbing her hand and dragging her out the door, winking over her shoulder at me.

"What have you got next?" I asked Edward.

"Math with Mr. Boulder, you?" he inquired back, and as I had the same class we took off to math together. I had been sitting alone in the back of the class, but with Edward's arrival I soon found a companion in the most boring class on earth.

Edward eased into our group so quickly and thoroughly it became hard to remember a time when he wasn't part of our discussions. I was no longer completely outnumbered by the girls; I had a new friend to see the latest horror flicks with, or to simply hang out with. There were some other subtle differences at first too, Bella stopped wearing her shapeless sweaters and jeans, and started wearing clothes that were a little more form fitting. Alice also started spending more and more time hanging out with me; and I knew we'd pushed our friendship beyond its normal realm the day she landed on my doorstep with a bottle of nail polish, a pout and a request for me to paint her toenails.

"Jazzy, you know you have the steadiest hand when it comes to art. I hate looking at the damage my Pointe shoes do to my toes. I have to cover up the purple toenails somehow, and I don't trust anyone else to not poke fun at my feet. Please?" Her eyes had gotten huge by the end of her request, and simply by the gleam that appeared I knew I was done for. I never could deny her anything that she asked.

"Fine, but if anyone, and I do mean anyone, including Edward, hears about this then I'll never help you again. Ever." I stated as firmly as I could manage. I knew she'd try to keep it between us, but sometimes she did get carried away. Her mouth moved faster than her brain did, and someone would inevitably hear about whatever completely ridiculous caper she'd talked me into.

"Jazz, do you ever wonder if...." Alice trailed off, with an expression on her face that I just couldn't place. "Never mind."

"Come on, Ali, you know you can tell me anything you want, no judgment here."

"No, Jazz, don't worry about it, it was silly anyway." She sighed, looking out onto the street for a little while and then critiqued my painting job. "Hey! You got polish all over my big toe; you'd better clean that up, mister!"

Sitting on the front porch of my house, with Alice's poor, battered feet in my lap, trying to paint the nails that were left on her toes, I acknowledged for the first time, that the girl who had turned my world upside down on the first day of school, was at it again. She had me performing a completely emasculating act, just because she had asked. I knew Edward wouldn't catch me doing it, he and Bella had gone to see a movie, but all it would take is one person from school to see us, and I'd never hear the end of it. I knew all of this, but I didn't push her feet off my lap. Instead I cherished the opportunity to do something in return for the mighty powerhouse who had asked for something for a change.

Knowing that the way I felt about Alice was changing, I started to worry that it would get in the way of what had become my closest friendship. Alice and I came to depend on each other through the horrors of junior high, and on into the transition of high school.

High school was a different world for us. While we were still a very tight-knit circle, we were also often separated in classes. Each pursuing classes that best matched our interests. English, biology and math were classes that we all shared, but when it came to our diverse interests we were often alone. I enjoyed my history classes, and Edward lived for music; often disappearing, only to be found in the music rooms enjoying free use of the pianos available. Alice became involved in art, and often surfaced from her classes with a dreamy look in her eye; obviously still locked in the world she was creating. Bella had decided early on that she wanted to become a journalist. A political one at that, and so was pursuing a group of courses that would put her on track to achieve that goal.

While our classes and interests diverged, we also found new things to cement our friendships. Edward and I tried out for the baseball team, as a joke, while we were waiting for the girls one afternoon. It turned out to be quite a good decision. We were both first-rate, and Edward's ability to focus for long periods of time, and his speed made him a formidable batter. My control was something of an advantage when I was up to bat, I was usually able to pinpoint exactly where the ball was going to land. The team wasn't bad, and Edward and I both enjoyed the bonding opportunity that it presented.

Bella often came to watch our games and practices, albeit from behind whichever novel she was devouring at the time. Occasionally she was joined by Alice, but increasingly she wasn't since ballet began to consume more and more of her free time. Watching Alice's tension increase as time went on, we began to wonder whether she was really dancing for the love of it; or if her mother's determination that she excel was the driving force between the after school rehearsals, the hours in classes and recitals. Bella had tried to approach Alice about it, but I knew that she had been blown off. I was convinced that if Bella couldn't get Alice to open up about it, then I certainly had no hope.

Alice was the person I confided in when I was considering giving up baseball. It had been fun in the beginning, but the pressure to succeed; not just for myself, but for the whole team, was sucking the joy out of the sport. In return, Ali confided in me when she was asked to audition for a place in the Washington School of Ballet.

"Jazz, I'm scared. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and what if I'm throwing it away and it's what I was meant to do?" She didn't even pause for breath as she continued, "They have a fantastic program that leads directly into the pre-professional program. If I'm good enough to make it there, I'm probably good enough to actually make a career out of this. But then what? I can only really dance until my late twenties, what do I do with the rest of my life? Would I go back to school then? After all of my classmates have already got degrees and careers? Should I just resign myself to teaching small children ballet? What do you think, Jazz?" I could hear the rising panic and earnestness in her voice, and I knew that I had to calm her down before this dissolved into a full blown panic attack.

"Al, take a breath would you?" I poked her in the ribs. "Honestly, sweet cheeks, you do have a pretty big opportunity here, but how good it is all depends on you. What do you really want to do? And don't give me the crap answer you gave your parents when they got the letter. Tell me what's in your heart."

"I love to dance, but I dance for me." She stomped her dainty little foot down onto the patio. "I don't want to turn it into work, into something that I have to do. If I get an injury I want to be able to take the time off to heal it. I hear horror stories about some of those dancers continuing on with stress fractures in their feet. I can deal with a bit of pain, but I don't want to maim myself for life. I want to be able to help people, not just entertain them." She looked up at me through her lashes, as though she was uncertain of my response to this.

"Ali, you know what you have to do then. If it is permission you need, you can't look at me for that, you have to be the one who decides this for yourself. It is your future on the line here. I'm just an interested spectator." She slapped me at that.

"Interested spectator indeed, you just don't want to have to sit through any more recitals. I know perfectly well your stance on watching men in tights 'prance around a stage'." She pranced about, to make her point, the expression on her face priceless, so I snapped a photo of it quickly. Which resulted in a tickle match in an attempt to get the camera from me.

Alice chose to decline the invitation, instead choosing to apply to all sorts of different colleges along with the rest of us. Edward and Bella seemed determined to ensure that wherever they went to college it was together. Alice looked into colleges that offered degrees in social work, but was leaning heavily towards the University of Washington, as their program was well respected, plus it had the bonus of being close to her contacts in dance studios, so she could continue to enjoy her dancing.

I was busily being feted by different colleges for baseball scholarships. I was having little to no troubles deciding amongst them, and since I didn't need a full scholarship, I could still count the Ivy League schools as possibilities, especially when they offered the best history programs. So when Yale offered me a partial scholarship along with a place on the Bulldog's baseball team, I was decided.

Our graduation from high school was bittersweet. On the one hand, we were all so excited to be finished, but on the other, we were being split apart for the first time. Edward and Bella were off to Dartmouth, Alice to UW and I was off to Yale. Saying our farewells was one of the hardest moments I had ever faced.

Edward and I shook hands, we knew that we'd keep in touch — we had each others cell numbers and email addresses, we'd been friends for so long there was no way we'd let our friendship drift apart.

"Take good care of our Bella, Edward. Actually, take good care of each other." I smiled at them both. Then grabbed Bella into a huge hug.

"Don't forget you can always call if you need tips on how to keep the brooder from his favorite pastime! And make sure you guys do keep in touch with us, don't just get to Dartmouth and be all coupley, forgetting your life-long friends." I dropped a kiss onto the top of her head, and released her back to Edward.

Alice and I looked at each other, and by silent, mutual consent, decided to keep our farewells for a more private moment. We waved Edward and Bella off as they walked over to his parent's with their diplomas. Then we hugged and parted to go over to our respective families.

Later that evening, I met Alice on the front porch of her house. We sat on the porch swing as we had done so many times in the past, and looked at the stars in the strangely clear sky, sharing our hopes for our futures.

"Make sure that you keep in touch, Jazz, phone calls and emails, carrier pigeons if you must!" She admonished me.

"Ali, you know that we'll be friends forever, you are my best friend. No matter where we go, we are only as far away from each other as a phone call. I will be there for you no matter what. Don't let your emotions bottle up on you either. I know you talk to everyone, but you confide in very few. Promise me that you'll call whenever you need to?" I made sure I was looking directly into her eyes; I wanted to make sure that she'd heard me.

"Jasper, I absolutely promise that I will call you whenever I need to. You need to promise me that no matter what happens on the field, you will keep up with your studying, and that you'll take your head out of a history book long enough to enjoy the college experience, too?" Her sweet voice pleading for me to have a good time while away from her seemed almost laughable, I was voluntarily walking away from my sunshine, but I knew right then that it was for the best. We had too much at stake as friends to ever let it become something more that might ruin everything.

Alice, don't forget me." I whispered "We'll keep in touch, Ali. I'll start training the pigeons as soon as I get there," I said, trying to lighten the mood a little, but I could see that I was failing. "I'll call you whenever I can, and send emails all the time. We'll still be best friends; there'll just be a little more distance between us. I love you," My last words, just loud enough for me to hear, but hopefully not loud enough for her.

As I got up from the swing, and made my way out to my car to head home, I heard her breathe, "I love you too, Jasper, I'll never forget."

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**A/N**** - **Firstly, I would like to say a HUGE thank you to small team without whom I would not have written or then posted this fic: **Britpacksuccubus**, **cravingtwilight**, **miztrezboo** and **Nostalgicmiss** for for fixing my grammar and punctuation, superb hand-holding, cheerleading and ribbon waving. I couldn't do this without you guys, you rock!

Secondly, all of the entries for this competition are available from here www (dot) thewriterscoffeeshop (dot) com, please head over there and check them out.

Lastly, there is a very worthy cause making the rounds at the moment, so if you have the ability to help out in any way then please go to www (dot) thefandomgivesback (dot) com


	2. I'll be waiting when you call

**Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest**  
**Name of story: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Pen name: **bendingmirrors  
**Song story is inspired by: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Artist: **Crowded House  
**Category: **newbie  
**Main Pairing: **Jasper/Alice  
**POV: **Alice

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all of its characters, I'm just borrowing them.

* * *

_"Go, I'll be waiting when you call"_

_**Fall At Your Feet. Crowded House**_

I was unpacking the last box in my brand new dorm room when I came across two items I had packed at the bottom: my first pair of ballet shoes, and my last family photo. I'm not sure why I packed either of them. The shoes obviously don't still fit me; their sentimental value has worn off a little too. The photo always made me cry. I guess I wanted something of my old life with me in my new one. Some tokens of who I was, and where I had been, to incorporate into who I wanted to become.

I had never lived so far away from my friends and mom. There was always someone that I knew, and knew well, around me. Coming from a small town to Seattle was definitely eye-opening; I would be going to school with more people than lived in my entire town.

I still can't believe that Bella and I went to two different colleges. When we were tiny little things, we used to say that we'd spend our whole lives together, growing old in the same retirement village, and throwing our walking sticks at any stupid whipper-snappers who came too close. They say that the only constant in life is change, and I guess that is true, but it didn't stop me from shedding a tear when I came across the photo in a frame, the last picture of our family as a complete unit. We were all standing on the front porch of our house squinting into the sun. Dad was standing with one arm against the pole on the porch, angled slightly away from Mom and me, he was smiling, but it didn't reach his eyes. I sat on the railing enclosing our porch, leaning back against Mom, we were both grinning brightly at Bella who was taking the photo with her new camera.

Three months later, I woke in the middle of the night to hear a strange rustling sound, and the hushed voices of my parents. I crept up the hallway from my bedroom to theirs, guided by the muted light glowing around their partially closed door. Taking a deep breath, I peeked around the door, trying my very best not to draw attention to myself. What I could see didn't make any sense to me; my dad was randomly pulling clothes out of his wardrobe and stuffing them in garbage bags. My gasp alerted them to my presence, and my mom came over to me, picked me up and carried me back to bed. The sadness in her eyes as she asked me to try to go back to sleep convinced me that I needed to stay where I was.

Mom's words from the next morning still echo in my mind.

"Mary Alice, your daddy has moved out. It doesn't mean that he doesn't love you, or that he doesn't want to see you. It just means that he won't be living with us, and that you won't get to see him very often anymore." Trying hard not to cry as she said the words, Mom pulled out a small box from beneath the Formica table-top and presented it to me. My very first pair of ballet shoes. I knew even then that this was simply a distraction, but I wasn't exactly sure which of us she was trying to distract.

The awful silence of our house, once my father was no longer there, drowned out the feelings of home, comfort and safety. I chose to go next door, where Charlie and Bella's house always felt warm and welcoming. Bella and I had always been close, but that extended after Dad left, Bella had found me crying on the porch of our house clutching the ballet slippers that my mom had just given me.

"What's up, Ali?" Bella hugged me as she asked.

"My... d ... daddy's... gone. He ... ah ... he doesn't want to live … with us anymore." I sobbed my way through my explanation, not looking up from the shoes.

"Ali, you know how my mommy went to live in heaven?" She looked at me, so I nodded.

"Well, maybe I can share my daddy with you and you can share your mommy with me?" Bella tried to comfort me as best as she could, her little arms stretching across my back and hugging me tightly—which cemented our friendship. From that point we were practically inseparable. We were always at either Bella's house or mine.

My house no longer felt welcoming unless Bella was there with me. So more often than not, Charlie found himself in possession of two daughters instead of one. We must have driven him crazy with all the noise, and giggling, and nail painting. I'm certain that once we introduced Jasper into the mix that Charlie thought we would calm down a little, and we did, but Jasper was mostly outnumbered, and content to watch us be idiots most of the time.

Through it all though, there was dancing. Three nights a week I could count on losing myself in the music and movement, and the discipline that came with learning to pose my body in shapes that were not natural. Hours in which the only voice that mattered was the teacher's voice, and as often as she criticized a movement, she found something to praise in my form. As much as I loved losing myself in dance, I also resented some of its restrictions. My hair had to be kept in a style that could easily be swept back from my face. The flyaway pigtails that I had loved to wear to school were no longer suitable. I had to have hair long enough to pull back into a bun. So I grew my hair, and in a spark of rebellion, I refused to have it cut for a year. By the time I caved, my hair, when down, could brush my fingertips when I held my hands at my side. Bella tried to grow her hair too, but her's wasn't straight like mine, I wished for her curls, and she wished for my straight long hair.

In an attempt to help Charlie out for all the time I was spending at his place, Mom asked him if she could enrol Bella in my dance classes.

After 'The Incident'; Bella's choice of words, she no longer attended dance class with me. Why anyone, including my mother, would have thought it a good idea to bring Bella to tap dancing class I still don't know. My mother claimed it was because less grace was required to maneuver in a pair of tap shoes, Bella claimed that it was like trying to stomp her feet on metallic ice.

Bella had managed to dance, in a manner of speaking, for the first few months. However, the last straw came one class when she not only fell in a spectacular fashion but managed to take half of the class down with her. We were both asked not to return to tap class after that. It didn't bother either of us though, tap had never really interested me, and Bella was too worried about other people watching her dance to really enjoy moving to the music. Instead, I found myself in more and more ballet classes, classes for strengthening and lengthening the muscles, and all the work that went into preparing a dancer for Pointe shoes.

Occasionally Bella would bring a book and come along, just so that we could chat in between classes and on the way there and back. However, increasingly, Bella was remaining behind to get lost in the worlds her books presented while I would get lost in the music. We always met up as soon as I got home though, and we would talk about what had happened in the classes, who wasn't talking to whom, and which teacher's pet was not doing well with the basics.

All through school, Jasper, Bella, and myself remained close; us against the world. Even when Edward joined us for our last year of junior high we were still close. Bella began to spend more time with Edward and less with us, but the time we were all together was still precious to me. I now had a slightly larger cheer squad at recitals and competitions, and Bella had company for the nights that I was at dancing lessons.

I still managed time with Bella at the baseball games I was able to make it to, and of course we were still right next door to each other so we were able to catch up whenever we wanted too. But I found myself becoming closer and closer with Jazz.

Oddly enough though, the moment when I really considered that Jazz and I could be more that friends, and maybe have something similar to the relationship I could see forming between Bella and Edward, was just a silly day on the front porch at his house. I was horrified by the state of my feet, and while I didn't want to look at them, I really wanted my nails painted. Pointe shoes had made an absolute mess of my feet, and there were very few people I trusted to see my naked feet. Bella was out somewhere with Edward, so I took my bottle of polish over to Jazz's house.

I knew I was asking a lot, Jazz fiercely guarded his ideas of what was and was not masculine. I could absolutely not see him agreeing to this without some persuasion, so I let my hair down and allowed its length to caress my back. I made my eyes as wide I could, pouted a little and presented the bottle to Jazz with a rush of words. If I could get him to hold the bottle without thinking too much about it and answering in the negative then I knew he'd paint them for me.

"Jazzy, you know you have the steadiest hand when it comes to art. I hate looking at the damage my Pointe shoes do to my toes. I have to cover up the purple toenails somehow, and I don't trust anyone else to not poke fun at my feet. Please?" I pleaded as prettily as I knew how. I wasn't exactly flirting with him, but I know that I skimmed the line fairly closely.

"Fine, but if anyone, and I do mean anyone, including Edward, hears about this then I'll never help you again. Ever." He tried to look sternly at me, but he didn't have me fooled. There were very few things that Jazz wouldn't do for me if I asked. I would never take real advantage of his pliable nature, but I have to admit that it did make it easy for me on the little things.

Watching him concentrate on painting my nails without any mess, it really struck me exactly how much he really would do for me. The feeling was definitely mutual; he knew that asking would be the same as receiving with me as well. There wasn't much that I would deny this boy who was so gently holding my spoiled feet in his big hands. His shaggy blond hair falling all over his face, obscuring his deep blue eyes and the little crease between them that always appeared when he concentrated hard on anything.

"Jazz, do you ever wonder if...." I stopped myself before I could go too far and make a fool of myself. "Never mind."

"Come on, Ali, you know you can tell me anything you want, no judgment here."

"No, Jazz, don't worry about it, it was silly anyway." I needed to divert his attention quickly before he asked questions that I really didn't have answers to, or at least answers that he might be happy with. "Hey! You got polish all over my big toe; you'd better clean that up, mister!"

I was relieved when he let it drop at that, I wasn't sure how I would have answered him if he had pressed the issue. Nothing was worth destroying our friendship for.

High school meant that we each had fewer classes together, it also witnessed the deepening of the relationship Bella and Edward shared. I would sometimes watch them from the other side of the cafeteria table and wonder what it felt like to love someone that deeply, and to know that you were loved just as deeply in return.

Bella was picking at the salad in front of her; Edward leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. He tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear as he moved in, and I ached for someone to do that for me. After gently kissing her forehead, he moved the second slice of pizza he'd picked up from his tray to hers.

"I knew you'd prefer a slice of this to that rabbit food. You just don't like to admit it, do you?" His whole tone and demeanor attesting to how much Bella meant to him, that he could anticipate her needs and reactions.

As final exams grew closer, so did our senior prom. We had agreed that we would all go together as a group. Bella wasn't all that interested in going at all, and while Jazz wasn't worried either way, both Edward and I really wanted to go. Bella and I went dress shopping together, and we all wound up at the Cullen house with our parents snapping photos left and right. Photos of all of us in a group, in various combinations, as pairs and couples. More photos than I ever wanted to pose for again in a single sitting.

Edward had asked permission of his father to borrow the Mercedes and he was to drive us all to a restaurant for dinner first and then on to the prom. I watched as Charlie tried to covertly corner Edward and lecture him about the evils of drunk driving, and Edward tried to reassure Charlie that he would be responsible and take care of everyone. I had assumed that we would all be behaving ourselves until I caught site of the flask Jazz had hidden in his jacket.

After a dinner that we all enjoyed; hanging out together and chatting, we made our way to the prom, where Jazz promptly spiked the punch bowl. We posed for photos, danced a quick dance and then headed out of the gym to go and sit under cover and talk. The gym was far too crowded and loud for our little group to enjoy each others company, we much preferred the small party we ended up in; huddled together outside, sharing warmth, Jazz's flask and memories from our time in high school.

Choosing to attend the University of Washington was not what my mother wanted for me. She had been devastated when I told her that I was applying to proper colleges and not to the Dance Academies. I had made my choice though, as much as I loved to dance, I just couldn't see a long term future in it. I wanted a bit more certainty from my career path; I would still love to teach the youngsters how to dance, but I didn't want to make that my whole world. I had offers from other colleges, but UW offered the social work degree that I had decided I wanted to work towards. It also had the bonus of being close to the people that I knew in the dance community, I would be able to help teach some classes on the weekends, and would be able to take any classes that I wanted to take with teachers that I liked during the week, as well, if I wanted to.

The dark spot in it all was being away from everyone. For the first time I didn't have Bella living next door to me, and Jazz was no longer within walking distance. I was so happy for Jazz that he had been offered and accepted the position at Yale. He could pursue his degree in history for whatever that was worth, and still enjoy his baseball.

During our farewells at graduation to Edward and Bella I kept a brave face, remaining upbeat and calm when I said my goodbyes. I knew that the tears ensuing from my farewell to Bella would be best kept private, even from the boys. Most especially, I knew that I needed to say my goodbyes to Jasper alone. After leaving the ceremony Mom and Dad had taken me out for dinner; putting their differences aside for a few hours to help me celebrate the end of high school. I would not be leaving for college as quickly as the others, Edward's parents had bought a unit close to Dartmouth for them to live in while they attended college, and they were heading off early to setup. Jazz was also leaving early; he was off to spend some time with his grandparents in Texas before starting at Yale in the fall.

We arrived back home just before dark fell.

"Goodnight, Mom, thank you so much for today. Well, thank you for more than today, but most especially for today. I know it can't have been easy for you to have Dad back here for this, but I am glad that he could make it for my graduation." I hugged Mom tightly to me, worried that the day may have taken a toll on her that she was not ready to admit.

"Oh, my sweet angel, you never have to thank me for that. After all, without him I would never have you. And you are the most precious gift in my life. I can't quite believe my baby has finished high school, and soon you'll be off to college. I'm not sure what I'll do with myself when you aren't living here anymore." She heaved a sigh, and looked away from me for a moment.

"Goodnight, Ali, I'm certain you'll need to be back out front for Jasper to wish you a fond farewell." Mom winked at me then, and moved off towards her bedroom. I had known that she knew more about what was happening than she let on at times; it seemed that perhaps Jazz and I had her seal of approval.

I changed out of my graduation outfit and into more comfortable clothes, a warm and faded pair of ripped jeans and a long sleeved shirt. My hair had been up and out of the way all day, so I let the long captive length out and brushed it until it was silky. Then I made my way out to the swing on our porch, where I curled my legs under me and waited for Jazz to appear. For once there was not a cloud in the sky, so I enjoyed the view of the stars while it lasted.

Jazz arrived, and I debated with myself whether or not to get up and go to him. Instead, I patted the seat beside me and as Jazz lowered himself into it, he gently pushed off, rocking us on the swing.

"Make sure that you keep in touch, Jazz, phone calls and emails, carrier pigeons if you must!" I tried to keep the fear out of my voice, and instead made it stern, but I think a small wobble may have made it through.

"Ali, you know that we'll be friends forever, you are my best friend. No matter where we go, we are only as far away from each other as a phone call. I will be there for you no matter what. Don't let your emotions bottle up on you either. I know you talk to everyone, but you confide in very few. Promise me that you'll call whenever you need to?" His eyes were almost navy as they sought mine out. I felt as though he was trying to see deep into my soul. I leaned in close and inhaled his scent. Woods, musk and a hint of peppermint, it smelled like home to me.

"Jasper, I absolutely promise that I will call you whenever I need to. You need to promise me that no matter what happens on the field, you will keep up with your studying, and that you'll take your head out of a history book long enough to enjoy the college experience, too?" I knew that he would be more inclined to just spend his time at college studying hard and socializing only with those in his class, dorm and team, but I truly wanted him to enjoy spreading his wings away from the three of us. He deserved to try his hand at a life not bound by the restrictions of our small town.

"Alice, don't forget me," he whispered. "We'll keep in touch, Ali. I'll start training the pigeons as soon as I get there, I'll call you whenever I can, and send emails all the time. We'll still be best friends; there'll just be a little more distance between us." His voice trailed off, and then I heard the quietest whisper, "I love you."

Jasper dropped a quick kiss on the top of my head, then got up and started to walk towards his car. I couldn't just let him walk away thinking that all that had gone on between us hadn't made such an impact on my life, so I mustered up enough courage to breathe the words "I love you too, Jasper, I'll never forget."

I watched him get into his car and drive away from me for the last time. It struck me as his taillights rounded the corner that Jasper and I were letting each other go, and I worried that I was making a huge mistake in not reaching out for him now. What if he found a wonderful girl at college and never came back to me? It was too late to change schools now, we were both set on our course, we had to simply trust in fate.

Edward dropped Bella home just as I was getting ready to go inside. They had been to dinner with Charlie, and the Cullen family. Instead of heading straight inside, Bella came over and joined me on the porch swing. I wasn't sure I had the words to tell her just how much I loved her, and how I would miss her.

"Bella, you know I love you like a sister don't you?" I looked over at her curled into a ball at the other end of the swing. I uncurled myself, and started to reach for her, as she did the same. We sobbed into each others hair, not actually managing to say another word to each other, but knowing what was in our hearts.

I unpacked the last box into my new room and looked around at the empty side, wondering who they would give me as a roommate. I was hoping that she'd be someone who wasn't connected to the world of dance; it would be nice to find a new friend with which to have ice cream and chocolate.

When she finally arrived, sleek blonde hair, intimidating beauty and height, I decided that I was going to make her my new friend. She looked me up and down and pronounced, "You'll do."

"I'll do for what? I was just thinking that you should be perfectly adequate as a new friend. I'm Alice." I tried to project the confidence I knew I could, I wasn't going to be intimidated by her at all, or at the very least, I wasn't going to let her know that I was the tiniest bit intimidated.

"You'll do as my new roommate, Alice. I'm Rosalie, but I generally go by Rose; I'm not looking for competition, or someone who will just cower in the corner. I need to study my ass off this year to maintain my scholarship, so I'd prefer quiet, but I do still want to have some fun. You look like you'll fit the bill all around." She nodded, and then placed her handbag down on the empty bed.

She quickly toured the available space in the room, seemed to come to some sort of decision and then asked, "So how many big hunky men have you become acquainted with here? I have an assortment of boxes and suitcases that need to come up here and I'm not dragging them up all those stairs by myself." I must have looked like I was about to offer my assistance, because she pre-empted that by raising her hand and saying, "Nope, we are not doing this ourselves. What we need is a couple of hulking footballers; do you know where we could find them?"

I had to shake my head, both in amusement at her straightforward approach, but I have to admit, also a little bit in awe that she wouldn't be carting all of her stuff up the stairs herself as I had done.

"Sorry, I've really only just finished unpacking all of my stuff and I dragged it all up here by myself. So I have no idea where you're going to find them, but I do want to come along to see you in action." I followed Rose out the door, down the stairs and across the quad towards the sporting facilities. As we approached the gym next to the football grounds, we came across a few groups of boys who were quite obviously on the team, judging by their jerseys.

Rose sauntered up to the largest of the boys, looked him directly in the eyes and said, "I find myself in need of a big ... strong ... man. Think you could fit the bill?" She broke eye contact to look him up and down; and he preened under her obvious perusal.

"What can I do for such a pretty girl?" the man mountain asked.

"I need some help moving the boxes and luggage from my car up to our new dorm room, think you could help me out?" Her eyes ran back up over his physique to his eyes.

"Not a problem. Seth, you're with me, the rest of you better head down to the field; tell Coach Seth and I will be late. I'm Jake," he announced in our direction, already turning to head towards the parking lot.

Those boys had Rose's car unpacked in record time, all of the boxes and suitcases arranged around her side of the room. Rose had been directing the boys from our room, while I waited down at the car for them.

"So, you've heard my name is Seth, but I haven't caught your name yet," he looked at me with a definite twinkle in his eye. I really wasn't expecting anyone to flirt with me this quickly; I was used to Jasper's intimidating stare directed at any boys who paid close attention to me. This new attention was gratifying but also slightly overwhelming.

"Umm, I'm Mary Alice, but everyone just calls me Alice. Thanks so much for helping us out, I'm not sure if Rose will end up thanking you. She seems very intense, but also probably forgetful. Anyway, I'm glad you were able to help us." I stopped, horrified that I'd let my mouth run away with me.

"Take a breath Alice; I promise I won't run away before you've finished! Besides, now that I've spent the better part of practice hauling boxes for your roommate, I think the least you could do is spend a little time with me."

I flushed pink as I smiled at him brightly, slightly taken aback.

"It's your first night at college, come out with me, have dinner. I'll show you around town to all the college favorites, a tour of sorts," he laughed.

"I'd love to. What time should I be ready and where are we going?" Again my mouth started to run without any input from my brain.

"I'll pick you up at eight and I'm not telling you. But if you're worried, we'll be going casual. Oh, and you and Rose should do the same for this first week too. Freshman girls always dress up the first week, and while nice, it makes them easy targets for upperclassmen hazing. Not that you and Rose couldn't hold your own, but I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." He flashed that mischievous grin at me again, took the last box from the car and started back towards the dorms. I made sure Rose's car was locked and followed him up to our room.

After depositing the last box on Rose's side of the room, Seth winked at me and left. I looked around but didn't see either Rose or Jake. Setting Rose's car keys down on top of the last box, I began sorting through my wardrobe looking for the perfect outfit for tonight.

I selected a cute little pair of jeans and a deep pink corset top, deciding that I could just wear my hair down tonight. Once I had chosen my attire for the night, I rang Jasper to find out how he was doing with settling into his new room.

"Ali, hi! How's UW treating you?" Jasper's voice sounded like smoky honey and home. I knew I had missed him while he had been at his grandparents' house, but it wasn't until this moment, when I was no longer calling him from my own home, that I noticed how much. Something about calling him from my own dorm room reminded me that this wasn't for the short term like summer vacation.

"Great! My new roommate has just unloaded her car and I think this is going to be a very interesting experience. She's not like anyone we've met before. She's stunning, blunt as a butter knife, and currently missing. She commandeered two big football players to move her stuff up to the room. I just got back up here with Seth and the last box of her stuff and she's nowhere to be seen. Neither is Jake for that matter..." I trailed off, realizing that I hadn't left any space for Jasper to start talking.

He was chuckling quietly, "I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice, sweet cheeks! I have been unpacking my junk all morning, finding all of these little souvenirs of Forks, and I was missing you. I haven't met my roommate yet, he hasn't arrived, I got in early so I just unpacked. You know, I'm actually homesick, and it's only day one!"

"Jazz, I miss you too! We'll both be home for Thanksgiving though won't we?" I asked, hoping that he was going to be home, I knew that I would be.

"Yeah, I'm definitely coming home for Thanksgiving. We need to get the whole group together again. I don't care what we do, as long as we're all together for at least one night." I could hear the longing in his voice, which increased my own.

"I'll make sure that Bella and Edward will be coming home, as well; get the whole gang back together for the holiday. I can't believe this is only the first day, how will we last until Thanksgiving?"

"We'll be too busy to think about it much I expect. We haven't started classes yet, remember? It will all be different after tomorrow." I could hear more noise in the background now, muffled by what I assumed to be Jazz's hand against the receiver. "Listen, Ali, I've got to run, my roommate just arrived. Call me again soon, if I don't call you beforehand?"

"Of course, Jazz, say hi to your new roommate for me, and tell him I'm expecting him to take good care of you."

"See ya, Ali, you tell yours the same!" We ended the call and after I checked the time I decided it was time to get ready for my first actual date. I knew that college was going to be a whole new adventure, but I wasn't expecting it to start on the very first day!

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**A/N. Again I need to thank some very special people who hold my hand, help me see where I'm going wrong, and fix my dreadful grammar. Britpacksuccubus, cravingtwilight, miztrezboo and Nostalgicmiss****. You are all amazing, and there are not enough thanks in the world to send you! I would also like to thank everyone who has reviewed, alerted or favorited my story - you make my day brighter.****  
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****Secondly,**** to read the rest of the entries, please go to the Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest C2 on the website/forum**** or go to**** www(dot)thewriterscoffeeshop(dot)com****  
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**Lastly, there is a very worthy cause making the rounds at the moment, so if you have the ability to help out in any way then please go to www(dot)thefandomgivesback(dot)com**


	3. Words don't sound right

**Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest**  
**Name of story: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Pen name: **bendingmirrors  
**Song story is inspired by: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Artist: **Crowded House  
**Category: **newbie  
**Main Pairing: **Jasper/Alice  
**POV: **Jasper

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all of its characters, I'm just borrowing them.

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_"You're hiding from me now__  
__There's something in the way that you're talking__  
__The words don't sound right__  
__But I hear them all moving inside you"__  
__**Fall At Your Feet**__**  
**__**Crowded House**_

"Of course, Jazz, say hi to your new roommate for me, and tell him I'm expecting him to take good care of you." I heard her upbeat voice echoing down the phone line at me, and I pushed down the instinct to get in my car and drive back to see her.

"See ya, Ali, you tell yours the same!" I carefully hung up the phone, and turned to face my new roommate who was standing in the doorway of our new room.

He was slightly taller than I was, but built a little more solidly. Broad shoulders, close cut ash-blond hair, grey eyes, and a grin on his face. He reached out to shake hands

"Hi, I'm Peter, I'm guessing you're my new roommate? And this," he reached behind his back and nudged a small blonde girl out into my line of sight, "is Charlotte."

"Jasper," I replied as I again reached to shake hands with Charlotte. She smiled brightly at me.

"As my charming boyfriend pointed out, I'm Charlotte, and sometimes he forgets that I'm coming into the room behind him when he just stops out of nowhere." She playfully jabbed Peter in the ribs, and he reached over to pull her in tight to his body by her shoulder. "So where are you from Jasper?"

"Originally from Texas, but I've lived in Forks, Washington, since I was five. How about you guys, are you locals or imports like me?" I had a good feeling about this couple and was so glad that Peter was to be my roommate. It would be so easy to hate college if I had a bad roommate, but it looked like I'd get along with Peter just fine, and his girlfriend reminded me a little of Alice. Petite, bright and bubbly.

"We're both from California. Luckily we don't have to do the long distance thing since we both got in here!" Peter answered. He looked around the room, noticing that my half was devoid of boxes. "Man, what time did you get here this morning that you're already unpacked? And how's about lending me a hand to get some of my stuff up here?"

"Sure thing, Pete," I replied, and followed him out of the room as Charlotte rolled her eyes at me.

In no time at all, we had emptied his truck of boxes and luggage, filling his side of the room. Apparently Peter had already unloaded all of Charlotte's possessions, because she reached up to kiss him on the cheek and then took off to unpack her own boxes as Pete and I surveyed the mess we had made of our room with his.

"Pizza?" he inquired after taking a very hard look at all of the boxes that he needed to unpack. I had skipped lunch earlier in favor of talking to Ali, so I was definitely up for food. I grabbed a jacket, and we set off in search of sustenance.

The first few weeks of our classes flew by as we tried to acclimate ourselves to living in a dorm with someone we hadn't previously known. When I wasn't in classes, or training, I was trying to get used to my roommate's girlfriend who had taken it upon herself to tempt me with all of the available girls she knew. Charlotte was very happy as part of a couple, and was convinced that those of us not paired off, didn't know what we were missing out on.

Just before midterms, Charlotte brought her friend Maria over to our dorm room to introduce us. Maria was unlike any girl I'd met before. Her huge dark eyes were habitually lined in kohl, her plump lips generally drawn into a pout, and she always smelled of roses. She had curves in all the right places, but didn't seem worried about her affect on me or any other man around her. Not worrying about it didn't mean that she didn't notice or count on it though.

I found myself entranced with Maria's curves. The bewitching sway of her hips, and her habit of licking her lower lip when she really wanted something from me. That lick usually meant that I was about to end up in a club dancing. Not somewhere I particularly wanted to be, but the clubs always had the very definite bonus of a semi-clad Maria performing her magic on the dance floor. Her wild curly chestnut hair becoming just as much a part of the dance as any of her limbs. One particular night, after what had been an incredibly long week, I arrived back at our dorm room to find Char and Maria along with Peter.

"Jasper, we're going out dancing and you're coming with us. You have the choice of either dancing with us, or watching to make sure that no stupid boys harass us. Charlotte and I are definitely dancing though." Maria's eyes flashed the challenge at me as she ended this statement. I knew that I would be going with them, and I was intrigued by her. Enough so that I was pretty sure I would be out on the dance floor with Maria and Charlotte tonight.

The dark and smoky club was inhabited mainly by other students like us, flashing fake I.D.'s at the bored bouncer whose only concern was whether we could afford the cover charge to get into the club. I paid for Maria and I, while I watched Peter do the same for him and Charlotte. I could see Char's mind churning over how to best work this night to her advantage. She had great hopes that Maria and I would hit it off, and then she'd be able to go out with her best friend and her boyfriend more often if we were to double date.

Thumping bass lines drove the seething mass of humanity on the dance floor. Asynchronous movements guided by the pound and swish of the music. Both girls immediately made their way into the mess of bodies, parting the crowd enough to slip in between them to find a spot on the dance floor for themselves. I shrugged at Peter and went to join them, not quite prepared for the way the girls both encircled me. It only took a few bars of the music before I lost myself in the rhythm.

We stayed locked in a tight dance unit for a few songs before I broke away to join Peter at the bar. He had a beer ready for me as soon as I reached him.

Watching the girls writhe all over each other on the dance floor, I turned to Peter to see if he wanted to get the hell out of here too. He watched intently as Char and Maria made their way back toward us. Char made a beeline straight for Peter, pouncing on him as though there was no one else in the club. Maria sauntered up to me, exaggerating her hip movements as she got closer. Her eyes ran up and down my body, taking everything in. I felt as though I was under a microscope with how closely was she watching me. Finally, closing the gap so that there was nothing between our bodies but clothing, she stretched up to whisper in my ear, "Come back to my place, sweet boy?" With that, she grabbed my hand and led me out of the club.

As excited as I was to be following this incredibly sexy woman home to her apartment, I was slightly terrified. I was no longer a virgin thanks to a summer spent at my grandparent's ranch. The girls whose horses were boarded there were all a lot of fun, and I was anxious to not be still holding my v-card when I got to college. So when I met the sweet and fun Millie, I put my best efforts into charming her. This worked well enough that I was now feeling a little more confident to be following Maria home.

We walked to Maria's apartment as quickly as we could. Which turned out to be not that fast at all, considering the amount of times we stopped to make out on various window ledges, against traffic signs and on car hoods. Arriving at her building, we bolted up the two flights of stairs and Maria fumbled with the keys while still trying to kiss me. The door opened on her third attempt and we stumbled into the room. Kicking it shut behind me, I pressed her up against the now closed door, attempting to remove her halter top without actually stopping our kiss. An impossible task, but while we were separated she grabbed hold of the bottom of my shirt and ripped it off just as I finished removing her top.

Clothes were shed at high speed, dropped wherever we happened to be standing at that point, leaving a trail from the door through to her bedroom. Maria took charge very quickly, removing all remaining clothing at a dizzying pace. I found myself naked, laying back on her bed, condom on, with her riding me like a prize stallion at the derby in quick succession. Maria required all of my concentration, trying to ensure that she had a good time as well, meant that I put all of my recently acquired knowledge and skill to good use.

"God ... Jasper ... yes ... right there." Her voice rose, louder and louder, until she was shrieking loud enough for the neighbors to begin banging on the walls. Maria simply laughed and shrieked louder. After ensuring that Maria reached her peak, I allowed myself to follow. Stunned speechless at the intensity she could invoke in me, I simply watched as she raised herself up and wandered over to the open window where an open pack of cigarettes and a lighter lay. She lit up, curled up on the chair next to the window and looked over at me.

"So, Jasper, Charlotte said that you're not from around here. Where exactly are you from and what made you decide to come to Yale?" she said after exhaling from her first drag on the cigarette.

"I'm from Forks, in Washington. Yale offered me the best deal, baseball as well as the history courses I wanted to take. I'm not really sure what I want to do with my life after college, but I enjoy history so I thought I'd start there. How about you? Are you from around here? What courses are you taking?" I was definitely curious, while I knew that she and Char were friends, I had never heard her mention how she knew Maria, or what Maria was doing here.

"I'm a sophomore; studying history too, but I'm focusing on conflict. The history of war. An interesting way to waste my parents' money. I have no idea what I'm going to do with my degree either, but I'm enjoying the work, and it has the added bonus of annoying the hell out of dad. He wants me to settle into a solid course that will have a clear career outcome," she replied. I looked around the room a little more now, noticing that it was more finished than any of the college apartments I'd seen. She had more space than any of my friends had, even some of the guys on the team who were sharing apartments. I think we even passed through a kitchen area in our rush toward the bedroom. The added bonus was that this one was in a fairly nice area as well.

Over the next few months I came to know Maria and her apartment very well. With the exception of the long Thanksgiving weekend, and any time I had an important game, I spent most weekends there. This gave Peter and Char the luxury of having a private dorm room. I found myself falling for Maria; she was the antithesis of my Ali. So very certain of herself, tall, curvy, completely aware of her effect on me and willing to act on it. As Christmas grew closer Peter pulled me aside to try to warn me that he had heard some rumors about Maria, involving a few of the other boys around campus.

"Pete, you know those guys would talk about anything and anyone. Half of the baseball team is jealous that I spend most weekends at Maria's place, they'd gossip about her even if there was nothing new to say. Just ignore it all, she's not sleeping with all of those guys, she'd tell me if she wanted to end things." I asserted to him. I was certain Maria wouldn't cheat, she was so upfront about everything else. If she wanted to go elsewhere she would have told me and gone.

"Jazz, I just want you to keep your eyes open, sometimes when the boys mouths are flapping there is some truth to what they are saying. I just don't want you to be blindsided if she's not exactly what you think she is." I could see how earnest Peter was being, and I couldn't hold it against him.

"Don't worry about it. Honestly, I think it's just jealousy, but I'll ask her what's what if it'll get you off my back," I offered, hoping that it would end the conversation. I really didn't want to have that discussion with Maria when she wouldn't even introduce me to her girlfriends as her boyfriend, instead I was simply Jasper.

"Man, I don't want to make you do anything you don't wanna do, including having awkward conversations with your girlfriend. I just wanted to make you aware of what's being said. You can do what you want with the info." Peter backed off and I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or more worried about it. I decided to just ignore it. Maria would talk to me if she had any issues. Until then I didn't need to worry about it.

I went home for a very quick Christmas vacation, grateful for the break away from studying, training, and an increasingly tense situation with Peter. Arriving at SeaTac airport I was expecting to see mom waiting for me, instead I was almost flattened by Alice as she ran at me.

"Jazz, I can't believe you came back for Christmas and didn't ask me to pick you up from the airport! I had to hear about it from your mom when I went home a couple of weekends ago. I offered to come get you since I'm already here in Seattle, and I had planned to head home today anyway. So here I am! Did you miss me?" She hadn't paused at all in that little speech and it made me smile, it was nice to see that some things didn't change.

"Look at you, sweet cheeks! You haven't changed a bit! I'm so glad it's you picking me up from the airport, we can chat all the way back to Forks." I noticed her whole face light up as I mentioned this, I really was so happy that she was my ride home.

After a summer at my grandparent's ranch, and time at college, I was looking forward to some of my mom's home cooked meals. I wanted to sleep in, and I wanted to spend a lazy day on the porch swing with Ali, chatting about whatever popped into her head. I knew that it wasn't likely that I would get time for a whole trip down memory lane, but I would like to go back to college a little rejuvenated, and I figured that this was the perfect way to achieve that.

Alice talked the whole way home, about her new roommate Rose, Rose's new boyfriend Jake, and Jake's teammate Seth. In fact, Seth was brought up in conversation so much that I began to wonder if he was just Jake's teammate. It certainly sounded like he had captured my little Ali's attention.

"So, Ali, who is this Seth that keeps popping up so often?" I questioned as soon as she paused to gather her thoughts for the next onslaught.

"What do you mean, who is this Seth? He's Jake's teammate, they play football together. They are pretty damn good to! He's been hanging around a lot because he and Jake have been showing Rose and I the ropes, and because he's a good friend of Jake's. Jake is always around because he rarely leaves Rose's side for a second, it's like he's expecting her to disappear if he leaves her alone for any longer than it takes him to go to practice, play a game, or go to class." Ali stopped to take a breath, so I took my opportunity.

"No, I mean what is he to you? You keep bringing him up and you don't normally mention anyone other than Bella or dancing that often." I raised an eyebrow at her. I wanted an answer on this one.

Ali blushed, looked down at her hands on the steering wheel, then back up at the road, not taking a moment to glance at me.

"Well, he's sort of my boyfriend too." She finally looked across at me quickly, before focusing on the road again. I looked out of the car window at the trees rushing past, the dim afternoon light glistening on the wet branches. I could tell that Alice was nervous about my lack of reaction to her statement, but the truth was that I wasn't sure how to respond.

"I hope he's treating my favorite ballet dancer well! Hey, how is the dancing going now that you have college classes to get through as well? Are you able to make it to enough classes to keep going?" I needed a distraction from this talk of Seth the 'boyfriend'; usually dance would distract Alice too. I have a feeling though that if Ali hadn't been looking for a distraction herself, I would never have gotten away with such an obvious ploy.

"It's going really well. I'm enjoying the dance studio near UW that Rachel recommended. They run all sorts of really cool classes and best of all, I've been helping teach the tiny tots classes on Saturdays and they pay me for that. It definitely helps! How about you? How's Yale treating you? I've been keeping an eye on the ladder and watching your team progress, seems like you're doing well. Are you still enjoying playing? Or is it getting to be a chore again?"

I responded on auto-pilot, the truth was I didn't know what to think about this new man in Alice's life. Was he going to take my place? Obviously she would have to make him a priority, but how would that affect our conversations and email? Maria hadn't impacted any of my time with Ali. She was too intensely private and protective of her own alone time to worry about the time that I spent chatting and keeping in contact with Alice.

The Christmas break passed so quickly that in no time at all Ali was driving me back to the airport to head back to college. In stark contrast to the drive to Forks we undertook only days before, this drive was silent. Alice seemed absorbed in the task of keeping the car on the wet road, and keeping under the speed limit - not something she had ever concerned herself with before. The silence of the car was emphasized by the squeaking of the windshield wipers, our breathing, and the occasional swoosh of a puddle on the road.

I was sure that Ali could feel the approaching gloom of our separation as keenly as I did. It would, after all, be months before we had the opportunity to see each other again. I would not be coming home for spring break, as I had arranged to spend it with Maria and her brother in Florida. I was looking forward to spending some time on a beach in the warmth. I wasn't sure that a week of fun in the sun would be worth losing our friendship over though; I knew Alice was upset that I wouldn't be coming home for spring break, but I figured that she would find something to occupy herself with in the meantime.

I took a deep breath, preparing to break the silence. "Ali, I may not be coming home for spring break, but we'll still keep in contact over email and phone calls like we have been. There's nothing to worry about, we've been friends for too long to let a little separation come between us. I'll see you over the summer; we'll both be back then."

Alice seemed to shake herself out of her silence, she glanced over at me sadly, "Jazz, I just have this feeling that I'm not going to get to see you again for a long time. I don't know why, but it's just one of those things, when we say goodbye at the airport we won't see each other for years. Maybe not until we've finished college, and that breaks my heart." I heard a small sigh escape from her then as she settled herself more firmly in the drivers seat and went back to concentrating on the road. I could see now that she was focusing so fiercely to stop herself from thinking about our situation.

My arrival at SeaTac airport this time was less joyful. Ali chose to just drop me at the departures entrance. Reaching over, she hugged me, kissed me on the cheek and wished me well.

"Take good care of yourself, Jazz, you know you mean the world to me. Make sure you come back to me safely."

I hugged her a little tighter then, I knew that while she may not be right, she was convinced that she was, so it was best to just hug her tight and let her know that she was in my heart.

"Sweet cheeks, you make sure you take care of yourself too. Make that Seth boy behave himself, and for heavens sake, pick up that bottom lip before everyone here thinks I've just dumped you. You're my best friend in the whole world, Ali, we'll still talk whenever we can, and I'll see you over summer vacation." I quickly dropped a kiss on the top of her hair, grabbed my bag out of the back seat, and closed the door behind me, waving at her as she drove away.

I don't know how she did it, but Alice was actually right in her predictions. I didn't make it back for the summer break. Pops hadn't been well, so I went to the ranch to help out again over the summer. Ali and I talked as much as we could, and emailed more often than we could talk, but I could see that the distance between us was starting to get the better of us. I found myself censoring the information that I passed on to her, especially about Maria and how close we had grown.

Alice seemed to be holding back herself. I knew that she had gone home for some of the summer break, but she had also picked up a teaching position at a dance camp for a few weeks. That gave her a little spending money for the coming year, but also allowed her to gain some more experience as a dance teacher. She was adamant that her career would not be limited to dance, but that didn't mean that she wanted to exclude the possibilities either.

Maria came out to the ranch to stay with me for several weeks over the summer as well. I could see that she became restless after a few days though. I'm not sure what she was expecting, but I assume she thought I would be around to play with a lot more than I was. There were horses to feed, exercise and care for. I wasn't much help with the riding lessons, I hadn't grown up on horseback like the rest of the family, so I was relegated to tasks that took more time, and meant that I was further away from the house for most of the day.

After three weeks of 'being ignored' as Maria put it, she drove off in a huff, seeking out more pleasant company. Having spent the last few days of her stay arguing about how much time I wasn't at the house, I didn't really miss her either.

Our sophomore year of college, Peter, Charlotte, and I chose to rent an apartment close to campus. There was no need to stay in the dorms any longer, and it was more convenient to have our own place. Maria seemed to enjoy the variety of splitting our time between my place and hers as well.

Between baseball and classes I was seeing a little less of Maria during the week than I had been our first year. There was more pressure on us in class, and more expected of us out of class. I wasn't sure how Maria was doing in her classes, but as she spent far less time on her papers and studying, I was certain that she couldn't have been doing very well. However, she wasn't depending on decent grades to maintain her partial scholarship like I was.

As Pop's health continued to fail, Mom came out to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with us as a family at the ranch. Which meant that I didn't go home to see Ali, who seemed resigned rather than angry that we wouldn't be seeing each other. While Mom was out for Thanksgiving we decided that she'd do the same for Christmas break, again meaning that I wouldn't be seeing Ali. By spring break, we didn't even mention me coming back at all. Pops passed on just before the start of summer break. But I had already decided that I would be taking extra classes over the summer. I wanted to graduate as quickly as possible, Peter and Charlotte both decided that they would keep me company, and were also taking classes.

During our Junior year I noticed that Maria was drifting ever further away. I would call her to make a date, and she would either be unavailable, or simply wouldn't answer. Finally getting sick of getting brushed off, or just ignored, I turned up at her apartment one Friday night, after having been out with Peter and Char. I knocked on the door for several minutes before I heard Maria yell out something that sounded like, "Come in."

I should have known better. I had been sleeping with the woman for the better part of three years, I knew what her voice raised in orgasm sounded like, and instead of shouting 'come in' to the person knocking on her unlocked door, she had been saying 'I'm coming'. I didn't recognize the boy working over her, but she did take a quick moment to notice me standing at her bedroom door before shouting at me to leave.

Peter had tried to warn me that she wasn't as faithful as I had wanted to believe. I didn't want to see that Maria wasn't as invested in our relationship as I was. I knew Maria wouldn't bother chasing me down, she'd come and talk to me when she was ready, and I was sure she'd have an excuse for what I saw. I wasn't expecting it to take her a week to approach me though.

"Jasper, I don't know what you are so upset about. We never said we were exclusive, and you know that I wanted to experiment. For God's sake we're in college; we're supposed to be experimenting with everything. I don't want to be tied down in a serious relationship, and if you were being honest with yourself, it's not what you want either. You'd rather hold your best friend up on a pedestal as the ideal woman that no one will ever come close to. I was convenient, you may have liked me, but we would never have made it as a full-time forever couple." Maria paused and looked closely at me.

"You're a nice guy, Jazz, it's just that you're hung up on someone else, and until you actually admit that and do something about it... well, I don't know. I guess you're just going to doom every other relationship you try to start. Maybe you should give the one that really counts a shot." With these parting words Maria turned and left me to think about what she had said. Was I really hung up on Alice still, after all this time?

Maybe Maria was right. There was only one way to really find out, and that would mean calling Ali. So I did.

"Jazz, hi! How's it going? I wasn't expecting you to call tonight? Is something wrong?" Ali never changed, she always had to keep going until you interrupted her, or she had to stop to take a breath.

"Ali, I'm good, there's nothing wrong. I was just calling to see how everything's going? How you are, what you've been up to, you know, catching up, it's been a while..." I trailed off.

"Everything's great, Jazz! I've been busy with school, dance and Seth. I pop home to see Mom whenever I can. Everyone in Forks is doing well. Oh, Edward proposed to Bella! Finally! They won't be getting married until after college, but he actually popped the question. I was beginning to think that he was never going to. I think Bella was getting a little worried too. I'm so happy for them," she gushed.

"Me too, Ali, me too. So how are things going with Seth?" I inquired.

"Good ... you know ... it can't be sunshine and roses all the time, but we're doing well thanks. How are things with Maria going?" I could hear a flicker of something when she spoke of her relationship with Seth, but I wasn't sure what it was. If she wasn't ready to talk about it yet, then no amount of persuasion would convince her to spill the story.

"Good, good. Not much to say really, I've been busy with baseball and study too. We're actually doing really well this year, we might make the play-offs. We'll see just how well that goes." With that, we steered the conversation into neutral ground. I had my answer though, Ali was still content with Seth, I could never jeopardize our friendship by making a move on her while she was with him, so I would leave it be for now. We chatted about nothing important for a few more minutes before Ali had to go and get ready for a date with Seth.

I threw myself into my studies. Between baseball and my over-abundance of classes I barely had time to think, let alone to mope about the state of my non-existent love life. I had companionship whenever I needed it, and I did enjoy a couple of fun dates with girls, but for the most part I was happy to just hang with my friends or to work my tail off.

Again I took courses over the summer break leading into my last year of college. I was determined that I would finish everything and get the best marks that I could. I would look into obtaining a teaching license when I got back to Washington, I didn't want to stay out here after I got my history degree, I wanted to go home and teach. Home where my mom was, but most especially, where my Ali was.

The last day of classes was an amazing rush. I had done it, I had earned my B.A. Graduating with honors, I knew that I would have my pick of grad programs for my teaching degree. I was also reassured by the knowledge that my old school back home was crying out for good teachers—hopefully I would be in demand!

Racing home from my last exam, I let myself into the apartment and quickly changed, so I could meet Peter and Charlotte in the bar across the road from our place. The flashing lights from the neon sign were not nearly as obnoxious as they were during the nighttime, I definitely wouldn't miss them after graduation. Elated that I had finished, and that I had a plan for the weeks and months to come, I locked up and left. Quickly skipping out across the road towards Peter and Charlotte, who occupied a table out in front of the bar, I realized that something was wrong from the look of horror on Peter's face. I couldn't think of what would have him so worried, until I heard the ear splitting screech of tires on asphalt.

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**A/N. I owe a debt of gratitude to the team who beta and ****preread**** for me. Britpacksuccubus, cravingtwilight, miztrezboo and Nostalgicmiss****. I couldn't ask for a better group of friends. I would also like to thank**** everyone who has reviewed, alerted or favorited my story, it makes me so very happy.**

**Secondly,**** to read the rest of the entries, please go to the Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest C2 on the website/forum**** or go to**** www(dot)thewriterscoffeeshop(dot)com**

**Lastly, there is a very worthy cause making the rounds at the moment, so if you have the ability to help out in any way then please go to www(dot)thefandomgivesback(dot)com.**


	4. Who knows where that might lead

**Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest**  
**Name of story: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Pen name: **bendingmirrors  
**Song story is inspired by: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Artist: **Crowded House  
**Category: **newbie  
**Main Pairing: **Jasper/Alice  
**POV: **Alice

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all of its characters, I'm just borrowing them.

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__The finger of blame has turned upon itself__  
__And I'm more than willing to offer myself__  
__Do you want my presence or need my help__  
__Who knows where that might lead_  
_**Fall At Your Feet**__**  
**__**Crowded House**_

Seth had told me that he'd pick me up at eight. So once I hung up with Jasper I sprang into action. Grabbing all of my toiletries and other necessities for a shower, I set off in the direction I thought they were in to begin getting ready. Having hair as long as I did was starting to become more of a pain than an asset. I could cut it quite a bit shorter, while still being able to pull it back into the regulation bun, and I was beginning to give that some serious thought.

I took as little time as possible in the showers, feeling exposed and preferring to undertake as much of the preparations in the privacy of our dorm room as possible. Rose still wasn't back from wherever she'd run off to, so I just cleared some space in front of the lone mirror in our room.

The muffled silence of a room stuffed with boxes and suitcases echoed my loneliness back at me. I was here without my Jasper, Bella or Edward. How could I possibly think that this was the right thing to do? I should have just applied to colleges close to them, after all there are dance studios all over the country. I might not have a reputation for hard work and great feet there, but I could have established myself with a little effort. Seeing my solitary figure with dripping wet hair, reflected in that mirror, became a trigger of sorts. I stalked over to my desk, extracted my big sewing scissors, and hacked a good four inches off of the bottom of my hair on my left side.

The simultaneous elation and terror that simple act produced, convinced me that I needed to keep going. So I kept going until there was a pool of hair at my feet and my hair was swinging half way between my elbows and shoulders. Having hair as long as it had been was ridiculous, I didn't need to keep it that long forever. I set to work cleaning up my mess before drying what was left. I carefully applied my makeup, so it would appear that I wasn't wearing any, and somehow managed to avoid thinking about the missing four inches from the bottom of my hair in the process. Then I dressed in the outfit I had laid out before my phone call to Jazz.

Seth arrived precisely at eight. His jeans and fitted black t-shirt showcased a body that was very definitely athletic and in its prime. Noticing that he had a jacket in his hand, I ran back to my wardrobe and grabbed a small shrug, just in case it got cooler later on in the evening.

"So where are we off to, oh mysterious one?" I questioned as I locked the door and then followed Seth down the corridor. I discovered that this was possibly the best place on earth to walk — the man had an awesome ass. He stopped, waited for me to catch up, and then modified his long gait so that I wasn't practically running to keep up with him.

"I'm still not telling, little one. You'll find out when we get there." I could see that twinkle in his hazel eyes again, I was starting to think that it rarely left them.

"So tell me about yourself then? I know that you play football, and from your advice earlier you're no stranger to UW. What are you studying?" I had so many more questions for this tall, gorgeous looking man, but I was a little worried that if I let my mouth run away with them all at once, he'd drop me back at my dorm room faster than I could ask him what I did wrong.

"Where to begin ... yes, I'm on the team, I play running back - which may not mean anything to you if you don't watch football. I have an older sister, and I'm studying Physical Therapy. Did I cover all the basics there?" His grin made another appearance, and I began to realize that if nothing else, I could be making a great friend here.

We talked all night about our dreams and aspirations while Seth took me on a food tour around town. He showed me the best places to stop for coffee, the easiest bars to sneak into, or at least the ones that turned a blind eye at fake IDs, and the best places to eat. We had passed a lot of these by the time Seth ushered us into a small pizzeria, a couple of side streets down from the heart of town. It didn't look like much from the outside, but for the last twenty minutes Seth had been waxing lyrical about how fantastic their pizza was.

Seth was able to get us into a booth at the very back corner of the pizzeria, and after checking that I didn't have any objections, likes or dislikes, he ordered for us. A sweating glass of coke arrived in front of each of us, while we kept talking all the way through the most delicious pizza I had ever eaten.

"Seth, that was, as you said, the best pizza ever! Thanks for bringing me here. I would never have found this place on my own," I gushed, realizing that my mental filter had been lost several hours ago, but somehow he still seemed interested.

"I can't take all the credit, the guys on the team always make sure that the new guys know that this is the place to come. I don't just share this place with just anyone though." He finished this off with a wink and I suddenly felt all flustered.

The walk back to my dorm room was much quieter, we were both stuffed full of fantastic pizza, and our conversations were winding down. I wasn't sure about Seth, but I knew that I was a little worried about what would come at the end of the night. I wasn't prepared for what to do at the end of a real date.

Reaching the room, I fumbled with my keys until I was able to actually unlock the door. I turned back to face Seth who was quietly observing me.

"Thanks so much for a fantastic night, Seth. I had a great time, although I'm sure I'll never be able to remember where everything is."

"Shhh, little one. I don't have any classes tomorrow morning, I'll come back around at say nine? We'll go through your schedule and I'll show you how to get to your classes without the maps." With that, he reached out and brushed some of the strands of hair from my face, leaned down, and kissed me.

I had not noticed how soft his lips were when I was looking at him, however the gentle, warm pressure on my mouth now, had all of my attention, and I was completely focused on the feel of his mouth moving over mine. It took my breath away.

"I love the hair cut, Alice," he whispered, as he again brushed hair back from my face, then turned and set off towards the stairs. "I'll see you at nine sharp," he called over his shoulder, then disappeared into the stairwell.

I quickly let myself in, closed the door, and did a little dance in our room. Of course, that caught the attention of Rose who, it appeared, had just crawled into bed. She crooked an eyebrow at me and said, "Date went well, I take it?"

"You could say that. He's coming back early in the morning to make sure that we can get around campus without needing maps... " I gushed at her, noticing that her eyes narrowed towards the end. I decided that I would stop there, get changed into my pajamas and hop into bed.

Seth's guidance kept Rose and I out of the hazing pranks that we saw perpetrated on some of the other freshmen girls. Between Seth and Jake, we were fairly well protected, and once they introduced us to the rest of the team, we found that we were never short for company around the campus.

I found myself in demand at the local dance studios, as a principal dancer at their performances, but also as a teacher. I loved the tiny tots classes. Teaching those little girls, in tiny leotards, all about balance, with a few cute dance moves thrown in, was so much fun. Because I enjoyed their company, and the girls would actually listen to me, that meant that for the most part they loved to dance. Keeping Bella's own inhibitions and balance problems foremost in my mind, I was hopeful that I could coax at least one of these little girls out of her shell.

Between the workload at school, and the classes I was teaching and taking at a few different studios, I was rarely able to make it to Seth's games. I did make it to a few, trying to cheer when it looked like the rest of the school was cheering. I went home as frequently as I could, knowing that Mom was missing me, but it was never often enough. And the trip usually just felt bleak, knowing that Jazz would not be there on the porch swing waiting for me, as though I was simply coming home from rehearsal.

A few weekends before Christmas, I went home to catch up with Mom and to use her laundry while I was at it. I had worked especially hard that week to make sure that I had finished all of my papers, and only took a few books to study while I was there. Mom was out sitting on the porch swing chatting with Mrs. Whitlock when I arrived, both of them dressed warmly for the weather and sipping on hot drinks.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Mrs. Whitlock!" I called to them both as I got out of my little car and stretched. Not waiting for a response, I went around to the trunk and pulled my bulging bag of laundry out to drag it up the front stoop. I dumped it at the top, then went directly to Mom for a hug. In all of my missing Jazz, I hadn't realized just how much I had missed being so close to my Mom. Her scent overwhelmed me, home-baked cookies, a trace of the lilac soap and shampoo she preferred, and an indefinable scent that just meant safety to me.

"I've missed you, Mom, and I don't just mean your cooking and cleaning for me. I've missed our Sunday pajama movie nights, and I've just generally missed having you to chat with whenever I wanted. It's hard being away from home, I didn't realize just how hard it would be." I released her after that, and she excused herself to the kitchen to make me a mug of her special hot chocolate.

Realizing that Mrs. Whitlock was probably missing Jazz as much as I was, I went straight over to hug her as soon as mom turned to leave. Judging by the powerful hug she enveloped me in, she certainly did miss him with every fiber of her being.

"Oh, my little Ali, I've missed you something fierce. It's not just my little boy who went off to college, you've all gone and the houses around here just seem so lonesome." She sounded so lost that I gave her another quick hug, just as mom returned with my hot chocolate. I perched on the porch railing to enjoy my drink while listening to them chat and gossip. Little things that I hadn't realized I had missed while I was away. I wasn't even paying attention until I heard Mrs. Whitlock mention Jasper's name, forcing me to really listen again.

"Jasper's coming home for Christmas and he'll be arriving Thursday afternoon. He was talking about renting a car for the weekend! Can you imagine a bigger waste of money? It'll be nothing for me to go in to Seattle to pick him up at the airport."

"Mrs. Whitlock, you don't need to drive all the way in to Seattle to pick Jazz up, I'll be coming home for Christmas too. It'll be no trouble for me to pick him up and I can take him back when I'm headed back to college. Why didn't he say anything when we were chatting on email last week? I'll have to have words with him when we talk again." I knew that driving Jazz home from the airport and then bringing him back at the end of the vacation would be good quiet time for us. I had missed him so these last few months.

Hopping down off of the railing and draining the rest of my drink, I made my excuses and dragged my bag inside, dumping it in my room to sort through for the laundry later. I flopped onto my childhood bed, and considered my room. The walls littered with posters of boy bands; every available surface covered in trophies, ribbons and medals from dance competitions. In some ways, lying here, I was able to pretend I had never left, that Jazz would be waiting for me on that old porch swing. I drifted off to a peaceful nap while considering how much college had changed things for us.

The weekend had rejuvenated me, I went back to college ready to face down any and all challenges. I knew that Mom was okay, and it wouldn't be all that long before I was able to go back again for Christmas. Mrs. Whitlock and I had decided that I would be a surprise at the airport for Jazz, so I had to remember not to mention it to him while chatting. That was so hard, because I wasn't used to censoring what I thought when speaking to Jazz.

By the time I had to go pick him up, I was so hyper I was afraid I'd crash tackle him through a wall. When I spotted his lanky frame and dirty blond hair across the airport I couldn't stand still a moment longer, so I ran to him, jumped up at the last possible second, wrapping my arms around him. I had missed him more than I ever imagined.

"Jazz, I can't believe you came back for Christmas and didn't ask me to pick you up from the airport! I had to hear about it from your mom when I went home a couple of weekends ago. I offered to come get you since I'm already here in Seattle, and I had planned to head home today anyway. So here I am! Did you miss me?" The fountain of words pouring from me didn't falter once, and I had to stop myself there, or I would never have heard what Jazz wanted to say in return.

"Look at you, sweet cheeks, you don't look even the slightest bit different to the way you did before we all left for college. I'm so glad it's you picking me up from the airport, we can chat all the way back to Forks." As he said this, I watched the smile reach his eyes. The grin and twinkle always seemed like they were just for me, and I found myself basking in the warmth of my own personal sun. Whenever he smiled at me like that I was more than happy to run my mouth without much input from my brain.

We arranged Jazz's bags around mine in the trunk of my car, and set off towards Forks. My little Focus was a dream to drive, zippy enough to get me from home to college and back again when I wanted to, and a car that my father deemed reliable. A graduation/going away to college gift, it reeked of guilt money, but I had received the means of travelling back to Mom whenever I wanted to, so I wasn't going to complain.

I hadn't really noticed what I was saying to Jazz until he asked me who Seth was to me. Then, I slightly panicked. _How should I broach that subject? Do I just outright tell him that Seth is my boyfriend, or should I lead up to that?_ I could feel my face flaming, so I just blurted it out, "Well, he's sort of my boyfriend too."

Chancing a quick peek at Jazz to see his reaction, I then looked quickly back at the road. I noticed that Jazz looked away and out the window, not saying a word. _What does that mean?_ I squirmed a little in my seat, looking back at him, but he was still quiet.

Finally Jazz spoke, "I hope he's treating my favorite ballerina well! Hey, how is the dancing going now that you have college classes to get through as well? Are you able to make it to enough classes to keep going?" Grateful to Jazz for the subject change, I embarked on a mindless conversation packed with details of Rachel and her studio, and questions about college life for him.

By the time we reached Forks, we were sitting in companionable silence. I was starting to feel how tired I was, so I dropped Jazz off at his Mom's house, and quickly headed for home. I practically fell out of the car, grabbing my bags from the trunk as quickly as I could, and letting myself in the front door.

Mom met me in the hallway, grabbing me into a tight hug, before taking my heavy laundry bag from me, and pushing me towards my room. I slept heavily that night, woke the following morning to a knock on my bedroom door, and heard Jazz calling out to me.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head! I've got plans, but you can't come until you're out of bed and dressed, so get your cute butt moving... pronto!"

I chose not to respond. Instead I grabbed some clean clothes, quickly made my bed, and padded across the hall to the bathroom. Showering woke me up in a way the knock on the door and his voice just hadn't. I would have been content to spend the next half hour under the hot spray enjoying an easy start to the day, except Jazz must have been anticipating that because he suddenly began pounding on the bathroom door.

"Ali, what the hell are you doing in there that could possibly take so long? If I can still hear that shower going at the count of twenty, I'm coming in there after you." Then he began counting. I had already finished washing before I decided to just stand there and enjoy the pounding rhythm of the water, so I waited until he counted to nineteen, then I turned the shower off, hearing him shout, "Good." Even though I knew it did me no good, I poked my tongue out at the closed door, hoping he would realize the sentiment was there whether he could see it or not.

I dressed quickly and headed out to join him in the kitchen. He was sitting at the table, chatting with my mom about college life, and enjoying what had to have been his second breakfast of the morning. Mom had made two plates, piled high with pancakes, and Jazz was enjoying one, while the other sat in front of my usual spot at the table.

After seating myself in front of the mountain of pancakes, I gave Jazz the evil eye and inquired about the days activities.

"Ali, you are so damn cute when you're grumpy. I have to buy some Christmas presents and you're coming shopping with me." The sparkle hadn't left his eyes, instead it increased as I tried to glare him into backing down.

"Fine! I'm up, I'm eating, and we can leave in a few minutes. I can't believe you would leave all of your Christmas shopping until the last minute. I'm just glad you didn't want to shop while we were in Seattle yesterday, I may have had to kill you and hide the body instead of bringing you home to your mother." I shuddered just thinking about the mass of people trying to finish their shopping while I wandered aimlessly with Jazz. I liked to have a strategic plan with shopping, to at least have an idea of what I was after, and set out with that in mind. Jazz liked to take his time, wander through just about every shop and handle all items before deciding if he would buy something. It drove me to distraction, and would be much better accomplished in Port Angeles where people would be more tolerant of us taking our time.

As predicted, Jazz took his time going through every shop in the mall. He checked over every item in each store before making his selections and then dragged everything up to the gift wrapping counter to have them all done up neatly for him. My Christmas shopping had been finished for weeks. All of my perfectly wrapped gifts were in the bottom of one of the bags I had brought home. Since Mom was going through my laundry for me, she'd have them lined up under the tree by the time we got there. It was dinner time when Jazz dropped me home, the house was lit up cheerily and I could smell Mom's pot roast from the front door.

Mom and I enjoyed a nice meal and an evening of catching up together. We sat in front of the television in our pajamas, chatting about the local gossip, Seth, and my classes. It was nice to be able to talk with her face-to-face. As much as we still talked on the phone, or I popped back for the weekends, there was still the pressure of papers due, or things I needed to be studying. As the credits faded on a double wedding including both Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, we turned in, calling it an early night.

Christmas went by so quickly as we shared our celebrations with the Whitlock's. Bella and Edward were home for the break as well, so Charlie was with them at the Cullens' for Christmas. Sitting at the table enjoying our meal I had a strange feeling that this would be the last time the four of us would see each other for quite a few years. It shook me to the core that in a year of so many changes, I would also need to start preparing for more to come. It was likely that I wouldn't actually see Jazz in person until he had finished college.

Jazz and I spent a couple of lazy afternoons wandering around town, visiting spots we had enjoyed as kids, the playground, Bella's tree house, and the dance studio. We rang in the New Year on the porch swing, both covered in blankets and jackets and other assorted items of warm clothing. We were determined to stay out on that swing until the clocks struck midnight, neither of us had been in the mood to enjoy any of the parties we had been invited to, instead opting for a quiet night chatting about college life, Maria, Seth, and the changes that had been wrought in our lives.

Driving Jazz back to the airport at the end of the break was silent and tense. For the first time in my life I drove under the speed limit the whole way. I didn't want the drive to end, it would mean the end of my one-on-one time with Jazz, the last time I would see him in person. I tried to concentrate on the wet roads to keep from tearing up, but it wasn't entirely successful. The silence of the car was finally broken when I heard Jazz breathe in deeply.

"Ali, I may not be coming home for spring break, but we'll still keep in contact over email and phone calls like we have been. There's nothing to worry about, we've been friends for too long to let a little separation come between us. I'll see you over the summer, we'll both be back then." He must have caught my disease spending so much time with me, I wasn't expecting that flood of words from him.

Looking over to make sure he was okay, I replied, "Jazz, I just have this feeling that I'm not going to get to see you again for a long time. I don't know why, but it's just one of those things, when we say goodbye at the airport we won't see each other for years. Maybe not until we've finished college, and that breaks my heart." I sighed and shifted around in the seat, I needed to not think about this right now or I'd cry and never drop him at the airport.

Finally arriving at SeaTac, I decided that if I actually parked I would try to get on the plane with him, or try to talk him out of leaving altogether. Instead, I drove up to the departures drop-off, leaned across the car and hugged Jazz as tightly as I could. Enjoying his nearness and scent for one final time, I reached up to kiss his cheek.

"Take good care of yourself, Jazz, you know you mean the world to me. Make sure you come back to me safely." I felt his arms tighten a little at that, and knew that the moment was affecting him just as much as it was affecting me.

"Sweet cheeks, you make sure you take care of yourself too. Make that Seth boy behave himself, and for heavens sake, pick up that bottom lip before everyone here thinks I've just dumped you. You're my best friend in the whole world, Ali, we'll still talk whenever we can, and I'll see you over summer vacation." I felt him drop a quick kiss on to the top of my head, then he got out, grabbed his bag from the back, and waved as I drove off. I made it around out of the airport and on to a side street before I had to pull over and cry.

The rest of that year went by in a blur. I threw myself into studying, dancing and working with the tiny tots classes. Seth frequently joined me to study, we could often be found curled up on either my bed or his with our textbooks spread out around us. The first time we fell asleep, Jake found us wrapped up together on my bed. Removing our textbooks and covering us up, he snapped a photo of us with his cell phone. After that, we made sure we stayed awake, or we stayed out of Jake's way. It took a very long time before the boys on the team let Seth live that down.

It wasn't very long after I heard that Jazz definitely wouldn't be going home for spring break that I caved and invited Seth home for the break with me. He charmed my mother with a couple of flashes of his hazel eyes, mischievous grin and wicked sense of humor. While Mom went to play Bridge, Seth and I amused ourselves at the house. The view of the front flower beds might have been lovely from the porch swing, but it felt disloyal to take him out there, so we stayed inside the house, and curled up in the living room watching movies. What began innocently enough as our attempt to watch a movie together progressed into a full blown make-out session. Seth's beautiful broad shoulders made me feel delicate and cherished as he sheltered me with his bulk. With his large hands roaming over my body, I thought it might be best to move away from a public area of the house.

"Seth ... Seth ... we need to move this to my bedroom. Come on, let's get up and move." I tried to push at his mass, but he was like an immovable object. Instead, he moved enough to be able to slide his arms around me, then swung me up in his arms and carried me through the house to my bedroom, cradling me against his chest.

Kicking the door to my room closed, he then advanced toward the bed, bending to continue the contact our lips had maintained. As he settled me on the bed, he began to remove his clothes, until he was standing before me clad only in his boxer briefs and a grin. His body was so defined, completely devoid of imperfections. I started feeling really nervous about revealing my too short legs, my damaged feet, and flat chest.

Seth seemed to realize that I was starting to worry, so he settled himself on the bed next to me, resting on one elbow while he used his free hand to trace over my face and down my neck.

"Alice, you have nothing to worry about, we aren't going to do anything here that you don't want to do. You are so beautiful, I don't think you realize how gorgeous you really are." His voice almost crooned at me, and I felt myself relaxing into him as I could feel the sincerity of his words. His hand doing as much to calm me as his words did with its gentle path from my brow, down over my cheekbone, and tracing lower to my collar bone. I found myself settling into his side more solidly and lifted my lips to meet his in a soft caress.

Somewhere in the rush of tongues and hands, my clothes dissolved under the heat of his touch. His tender embrace ignited fires I had never known, caresses swept me away on a cloud of gauzy ecstatic feeling. When he finally pulled out the foil packet and covered his cock, he kissed me deeply once more, then positioned himself at my entrance. Looking into my eyes he began to ease forward, then reaching the small barrier he thrust through it, and waited for me to breathe through the sensitivity. It stung for a few seconds, but once I got over that, I was eager for the rest, urging Seth on to restart the wonderful sensations from earlier.

The push and pull, reach and release of this new dance enthralled me. The instinctive steps and guidance by an experienced partner reminded me of an intricate Pas de Deux. The synchronization of the dancers resulted in a better performance, and if I knew anything after so many years of dancing, it was how to follow an experienced partner's lead. Seth led me through the mystery steps to arrive at the highest peak, feeling it crash over me in an entirely new and unexpected way. Falling back from the greatest of heights, watching the look in Seth's eyes as he followed me over the edge. _What a rush._

Seth wrapped me up in his arms and as we both rolled to our sides, he tucked me in under his chin and rubbed soothing circles on my back. His arms surrounded me in a circle of his scent and security. I drifted to sleep, lulled by the gentle movements of his hands, and the warm, secure nest he had created for me.

Mom had decided that Seth was wonderful, so the following morning as we left my room, she looked us both up and down, winked, and set about making one of her large eggs and bacon breakfasts. The breakfasts weren't so elaborate for our whole stay, but she was definitely happy to have Seth there. Mom told us on the last day to take care of each other, and that she would miss us both while we were in college.

Rose and I exchanged our spring break stories over a couple of Diet Cokes in our dorm room once we were settled back in. She sent the boys off to training with strict orders to leave us alone for the rest of the night.

"So, how was it, Al? Was he good? Gentle? Was it everything you were looking for? I tried to tell you that everyone's first time sucks. Big Time. So, I hope you weren't too disappointed." Rose had tried to warn me beforehand, but she had followed her speech up with a shrug and the throw away remark that she guessed it could be different for everyone.

"Rose, I'm not going to lie, it was fantastic! I never expected it to feel that way, although I'm not eager to repeat the whole 'missionary' thing, I just don't think that's my style, and I'm too short for it to work properly with someone as tall as Seth anyway. How was Jake and Miami? Did you guys have fun?" I knew that asking about Miami would derail Rose, she had the ability to go on for hours about Jake's assets.

The rest of the year passed in a blur; study, dance, Seth and conversations with Jazz or Bella were all I really had time for. Learning that Jazz wasn't going to be home for the summer as he'd be helping out on the ranch, meant that I had to find something to occupy my vacation without him. I signed up for some extra credit subjects, and applied to teach at every dance studio I could find. In the end, I kept busy the whole summer with school, trips home, and teaching at a few different studios.

Our sophomore year, Rose and I chose to stay in the dorms again. We had enjoyed our experience and the boys planned to stay on campus, so it just made sense. The year sped by in a flurry of missed connections with Jazz, hard work, dancing and Seth. Mom constantly asked when Seth and I would be moving in together, but I told her I wasn't ready for that yet. Besides, while Seth only had one year of college left, I still had two.

I was prepared for junior year to be hard, knowing that the time I got to spend with Seth would be even further curtailed by the amount of work he would need to complete in order to graduate. Seth was so busy that I often felt like I spoke with his voicemail more than I spoke with him. The odd thing was that it didn't bother me, I was usually more upset if I wasn't able to get hold of Jazz a couple of times a week.

That year Rose and I had chosen to rent a very small apartment close to campus, we each had a bedroom and there was also a kitchen. A luxury we had both missed very much.

It was a Thursday after spring break, and although we weren't at finals yet, we were getting there fast. Seth arrived at our front door, looking tired but happy. I let him in and grabbed him a drink, before we settled on the sofa. He looked at me for a long moment before starting, "Alice, you know that I love you. I'll be finishing up here in a few months, but I'm not planning to head back home to Colorado when I do. Geez, I just need to do this before I lose the nerve! I know you probably aren't ready to get married, so I'm not asking that question yet. I'll be staying in Seattle and I wondered if you would move in with me?" He looked at me so hopefully, but I had frozen as soon as he mentioned marriage. I wasn't ready for that by any stretch of the imagination, I wasn't even ready to think about it as a possibility.

"Seth, I'm so not ready for any of that. I'm definitely not ready to get married, but I don't think I'm ready to move in with you either. I don't know what it is that I want, but I can't keep leading you on. You're getting ready to settle down and that's not even a possibility for me. I can't do that to you, Seth, I care about you too much." I cringed, hoping that he would know I actually meant this, that I wasn't just using standard lines from movies.

"Alice, I was half convinced this would happen. I knew going in, from the sheer volume of times Jasper pops up in everyday conversation that I would have to compete with him, I just hoped that I might have had a chance of winning. I'm glad you let me play in the game for a while, but I can see that I'm being benched here. I hope that someday you can sort it all out, and I do wish the best for you." Seth stood, ran his hand through his hair, and walked toward the door. He paused as he reached it, then turned slightly toward me, and without looking at me said, "You don't really give a guy a chance, no one but that Jasper guy anyway, and I've never even met him. Maybe you guys need to work out what's between you two."

I watched the door close behind Seth, feeling the full impact of my words to him. I had just broken the heart of the most wonderful guy, he had loved me and wanted to be with me, but I just didn't know how to let go of the fear and make that leap with him. I did know that it would be easier on him being a little hurt now than a whole lot more later if I had said yes, but that didn't make me feel any better about myself. While I was still thinking it all over, Rose arrived home from classes.

"What's up with you? You look like you just got told that Ben and Jerry's is closing forever! That's not like you at all." She looked me up and down, and evidently decided that something needed to be done if I didn't answer quickly enough.

"I just broke up with Seth, that's what's up. He wanted to move in together and I broke up with him instead. There's something seriously wrong with me that I could do that to that wonderful guy. I mean, I know I did the right thing not moving in with him, but I didn't need to break up with him did I?" I looked at Rose, knowing that she'd have some sort of answer for me.

"Yes, you did. You knew that the relationship was never going to go anywhere. Alice, in all the time I've known you, I have never heard you talk about Seth the way you talk about Jazz. You did the right thing breaking it off now, rather than trying to move in together to make him happy and then finding out just how big of a mistake it was." She nodded at the end, to emphasize her point.

"I'm not going to let you sit around here and mope either. We're going straight to the hairdressers. You are going to try a new style out. You've been talking about cutting your hair off for ages, let's go and see how it works out. Are you dancing in anything soon that you'll need long hair for?" She looked over at me for confirmation.

"I haven't taken on any stage roles, I'm only teaching these days. Too many other things going on without hours of rehearsals and that pressure. I can do what I want with my hair. You're right, this is the perfect thing for me, let's do it." I bounced into my room, grabbed my handbag and followed Rose out to her car. She drove us over to a small mall where she swore the best hairdresser in the city had her salon.

One and a half hours later I walked out of that salon with hair that only just brushed my shoulders. It was a fantastic feeling, my head was so light and free, feeling like it could almost float away. It was weeks before I would mourn my long hair, but even then, it wasn't much. I was too busy to even think about it. Besides, the act of independence that it represented for me was so strong that it overpowered the worry that I had acted rashly in the heat of the moment.

Between studying and teaching I kept busy during the last section of my junior year. I went home for the summer vacation and enjoyed some time with my mom. It was a wonderful way to spend the last summer before I would have adult responsibilities. We watched endless black and white movies, baked mountains of cookies, and gossiped about nothing. We simply enjoyed being in each other's company.

By the time I went back for my final year, I was ready to take on all of the hard work that would be required to graduate. Jazz sounded just as determined as I was to graduate this year. We kept in touch throughout the year, and talked each other through the hard times. Between our conversations, emails and chats it was almost as though we were both living close again, the helping hands, words of encouragement and occasional nudges to get back on the right path, all added to the illusion.

I was sad that we'd miss each other's graduation, but I knew that I'd be seeing Jazz back in Forks just as soon as we had received our diplomas. I anticipated bringing Jazz home from the airport when he was ready, and I couldn't wait. Instead, what I got was a phone call at lunchtime on a Thursday. I had finished class for the day, and was puttering around in the kitchen making a sandwich, when a number I didn't know flashed up on my cell. I normally wouldn't have answered it, but I had a feeling that I really needed to hear what this was about.

"Is this Alice Brandon?" a male voice questioned.

"Sure is, who am I speaking to?"

"I'm Peter, Jasper's roommate. Umm, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but I know Jasper would want you to know ... umm, Jasper got hit by a car this afternoon. He was coming over to meet us at the bar across from our apartment, he didn't look where he was going, and the next thing I knew he was unconscious in the road. The paramedics have taken him to Yale-New Haven emergency, and we're in the waiting room there. I got your number off his cell to called you. Someone from the hospital has already contacted his mom, but I know he'd want you to know what's happened." He wound down, but I could hear the pain and worry in his voice. I knew what I had to do.

"Peter, when you see Mrs. Whitlock, please tell her I'll be on my way as soon as is humanly possible. Thanks for calling me, I guess I'll be seeing you soon." When I hung up, my knees were wobbling and my hands hadn't stopped shaking since Peter dropped the bombshell. I couldn't let that stop me though, so I ignored it all, as I had arrangements to make.

I dropped all of the preparations for my own graduation, made a phone call to arrange for my diploma to be mailed home, called the airline to book a flight, left a note for Rose, and was out the door with a small bag stuffed with whatever clothes I could put my hands on the fastest.

Arriving at the Yale-New Haven hospital, I gave Jazz's name and details and was directed to another floor to begin the search for his room. He had been pretty banged up, but apparently it wasn't as bad as Peter had thought it was when he first contacted me. A broken leg, some broken ribs, concussion and many cuts and abrasions, but he was going to be okay. When I finally found his room, Jazz looked like he was sleeping but I doubted that he was. I knew that with a concussion they'd be waking him up fairly regularly, so he probably wouldn't be sound asleep. I made my way over to sink into the chair next to his bed, reaching for his hand.

Lifting it gently, I turned it over to make sure that I wouldn't be aggravating any injuries. Jazz's hand appeared to be okay, so I entwined his with my own and settled them down on the covers. Bandages were stuck to his forehead, covering many stitches, and even dozing, I could see the frown lines etched into his face. Moving his hand around must have disturbed him though, because Jazz opened those deep blue eyes, looked around a little before settling on my face, and tried to smile.

"Ali, you came. I'm so glad you did. I've missed you terribly."

"Oh, Jazz, you know all you had to do was ask, this was a pretty dramatic way to get me to fly across the country. Do you know how long they are planning to keep you in here? Will you be able to fly home soon after they release you, or will we need to arrange another way of getting home?" I would have kept going, except Jazz had pulled his hand from mine and covered my mouth with it.

"Sweet cheeks, I have no idea how long they plan to keep me. And I'm flying home to Forks as soon as they let me out of here, no matter what they say. I'm glad you'll be here to help me finish up the packing, and that we can go home together." He paused for a second, pulled his hand from my mouth, and then looked at me again. "Alice, I know we've been living on opposite sides of the country, but you and your conversations have kept me going when nothing else could. Do you think now that we will be living in the same town again we could try a real relationship, instead of just friendship? You are my closest friend, and it seems to me that we would make a far better couple than so many others because of it. We already know all the worst bits about each other, and love each other in spite of them. Maybe we could make a real go of it?" He looked at me so hopefully, and as terrified as I was of what the answer could possibly mean for us, I desperately wanted to say yes.

What if we broke up though? Would we lose our lifelong friendship as well? Would we be able to move past that and continue on as friends if it didn't work out? Seth's words were ringing in my ears as I looked at the navy pools that held my past. Could I give Jazz my future as well?

I considered all of this, gathered my courage, and took a deep breath.

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**A/N. Again I must thank the team who beta and ****preread**** for me. Britpacksuccubus, cravingtwilight, miztrezboo and Nostalgicmiss****. These ladies are friends who keep me writing in the wee hours of morning to make sure I finish, who fix my appalling grammar, and who put up with my large number of questions and me in general! I would also like to thank**** everyone who has reviewed my story, it makes me smile.****  
**

**Secondly,**** to read the rest of the entries, please go to the Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest C2 on the website/forum** **www(dot)thewriterscoffeeshop(dot)com**

**Lastly, there is a very worthy cause making the rounds at the moment, so if you have the ability to help out in any way then please go to www(dot)thefandomgivesback(dot)com. The auction has started and there are some great people offering their stories for a good cause, miztrezboo is among them, go and bid there are some fantastic items and stories up for grabs.**


	5. Fall at your feet

**Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest**  
**Name of story: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Pen name: **bendingmirrors  
**Song story is inspired by: **Fall At Your Feet  
**Artist: **Crowded House  
**Category: **newbie  
**Main Pairing: **Jasper/Alice  
**POV: **Jasper

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all of its characters, I'm just borrowing them.

* * *

_"Whenever I fall at your feet_  
_And you let your tears rain down on me_  
_Whenever I touch your slow turning pain_"  
_**Fall At Your Feet**_  
_**Crowded House**_

The sound of her inhaling oxygen seemed to echo around the room before fading into a deeper silence. One that had never been between us before. My little Ali was never this quiet. I knew that she wanted this as much as I did. I just wasn't sure what else I could do to convince her to take the chance.

From the moment I had opened my eyes in the emergency room of the hospital, I had known that we had to stop this charade. I had already set some plans in motion to move home to Forks to be close to her, but it took a brush with death for me to realize that I needed more than that. I needed to know that she was mine; that no other man would touch her ever again.

Thoughts of my Alice filled my head while they stitched my wounds. I would never again have perfect skin to offer her, she would need to accept me imperfections and all. If I knew her at all though, I knew that it wouldn't matter to her. Ali dwelt on her own supposed imperfections, but very rarely noticed them in the others around her.

I hoped that someone had contacted her, I was sure that Mom would know what had happened, but I wasn't sure that anyone would call Ali. Drifting in and out of focus after a shot of some painkiller, I wasn't really able to sleep or stay awake. The in-between state dulled the ache, but I was still very aware of the pain in my ribs whenever I took a deep breath.

I was moved to a private room, where my only marker of time passing was each new nurse coming in to shake me awake and ask me questions. The haze that shrouded my every thought was still in place when I opened my eyes to see Ali sitting next to me. I had no idea how she had managed to beat Mom here, but right then I didn't care, I just wanted to let her know exactly how much I needed her.

Alice seemed to gather herself up, I could feel her hands shaking. Her gorgeous brown eyes filled with unshed tears, and I worried that this would mean she wasn't going to give us a chance.

"Jasper, I have loved you for as long as I can remember. You are so much a part of my world that I can't imagine a life without you in it. I'm not going to lie and tell you that I have no qualms about this, because you know me, so you know I'm scared stiff. But if we never try to fly we'll never find out if we can soar... Yes, yes, a million times yes."

I pulled her carefully toward me, tugging until she got the hint and climbed up on the bed to cuddle with me. She was so tentative about where she moved around me, I knew I must have looked like a gruesome mess in places, what with the cast on my leg, the bandages around my ribs, and the stitches and grazes covering a large amount of the rest of my exposed skin. Still, I knew that having Alice in my arms would more than make up for the discomfort.

Once she was settled next to me, picking and choosing where to put her limbs based on my visible injuries, she turned her face up to mine and pressed her lips ever so gently to my own. The barest whisper of a kiss, designed to soothe and convey her love for me. Which was the exact moment that my mother arrived and cleared her throat from the doorway. Until that particular second I hadn't known that it was possible to blush right up through your scalp, but I could see the bright red color just as clearly through Alice's new short hairstyle as I could on her face.

"Oh my boy, I raced here not knowing what to expect, you must be feeling a whole lot better than you look!" Mom winked at me, and the grin from ear to ear on her face underscored just how she was feeling about this new development. "Looks like you two have finally seen the light! I'm hoping this means you're officially together?" her eyebrows rose along with her voice and I was so excited to be able to tell someone, but I was beaten to the punch.

"Yes, you are the first person we've gotten the chance to tell. We're officially a couple." Alice practically squealed at the end, as she lightly climbed off the bed and ran over to hug my mom.

"I'll let you two catch up, you probably have lots to discuss. I'll just run down and grab something to eat. Do either of you want anything?" Ali inquired as she grabbed her handbag and made for the door.

Shaking my head at her, I replied, "I have my two favorite girls in the world right here, I don't need anything else."

"I'm fine, Ali, I won't be staying here too long, just wanted to see my boy before I go and get settled into the hotel. Did you book any accommodations? I booked an extra twin just in case," Mom offered, knowing my girl so well. Ali probably moved heaven and earth to get here so quickly, and I would guess that in that huge 'overnight' bag she was using, she'd be missing at least some of the essentials.

"Actually, I think that was the one thing I forgot to do while I frantically made arrangements to get out here, Mrs. Whitlock. I arranged everything else, I didn't stop to think about where I'd be staying once I got here. Thank you, that will be wonderful. I'll just give you both some alone time," Alice said as she made her way out the door and away from my room.

Mom and I chatted for a while. She chastised me for 'frightening more gray into her hair' and then went on to tell me just how happy she was that Alice and I had finally realized what everyone else always knew, that we belonged together.

"Mom, I've been thinking that I may actually use some of that trust fund Pops left me. I want to buy a place for Ali and I to come home to. We're both heading home to Forks now, and I don't quite know what it is that I'm going to do, but I do know that we will need a place of our own. Any chance you could have a look at some properties for me when you get back home? I don't want anything big, just a little house in Forks. What do you think?" I knew that Mom would know which houses were up for sale through the local grapevine, and her input on their condition would be much more valuable than a realtor's.

"Jasper, I think Dad would be so happy to see you using that money to establish yourself. I'm so glad you'll be coming home, and I know of a couple of places that are up for sale. Do you remember that little yellow cottage with the picket fence two streets over from the Brandon house? That's for sale, and old Mr. Grady took good care of that house! I'm sure that would be worth looking at; I'll go and take a peek when I get back home."

"Thanks, Mom, it means a lot," I said, struggling to keep my eyes open. I hadn't realized just how tired I was until I yawned widely and my eyes started to droop.

I was finally released from the hospital a week after they admitted me. In that time Alice and my Mom had packed up all of my things, and had shipped a lot of them to Forks. Mom had already gone back, while Alice stayed in my now almost empty apartment waiting until I was released and could head home. We had spent a lot of the time talking through our lives since Forks, I confessed my whole disastrous relationship with Maria and how it had impacted me. Ali finally gave me all of the details from her time with Seth, and just how much it had hurt her to break his heart.

"Jazzy, I just didn't know what I was supposed to do. He was so sweet and caring and everything I was supposed to be looking for, but I just couldn't care for him that way. I certainly  
couldn't imagine living with him. I wasn't sure what it was that I wanted, but I knew that I didn't want to string him along anymore. He deserves someone who will love him just as much as he is capable of loving her, and that was never going to be me. I just didn't know that when I broke his heart, I would also be breaking a bit of my own," Alice sobbed into my shoulder. I tightened my hold on her, knowing that it was mostly my presence that she needed to just let it all out.

"Sweet cheeks, you did the right thing. I know it's selfish, but I don't like to think about how close I came to losing you forever to him. I realized during our separation that the only thing I ever really wanted was you." I stroked my hand through her short hair, feeling the choppy ends of it tickle my palm. I wasn't sure quite how to convey to her how much she meant to me, and how despite our separation, I still felt closer to her than to anyone else.

That last day in the hospital we cleared the air between us completely, we wanted to make the next step forward in our lives memorable and free of all ties to the past. Of course we would be indebted to the people who had taught us the value of real connections, but we wanted to start fresh, to turn our close friendship into a relationship that could last.

Flying back across the country was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. Alice sat in the window seat so that I would not need to climb over her to get out and stretch my legs in the aisle. We had managed to snag bulkhead seats due to my cast and crutches, but even those didn't have quite enough room for me to sit comfortably, especially in my physical condition.

Alice must have sensed my discomfort, because she began regaling me with tales of the Tiny Tots classes she has been teaching. The antics of those little girls in the classes took my mind off the pain, and quickly had me chuckling along with her.

"Oh my God, Jasper, you should have seen it! This tiny little ballerina in her full costume circling around the stage, eyes glued to the floor looking for her piece of tape. When she finally found it one of the other little girls was standing on it, so she gave her a small push out of the way, pointed out the next marker, and took her spot. You could just tell that her mom had reminded her over and over to make sure she was standing where she was supposed to be, and to smile big. The next thing we knew, she was in the starting position with a clown grin on her lips, and a fierce little line between her eyes as she concentrated on getting every step exactly perfect. We almost died laughing at the performance, you can just imagine it can't you?"

"You know, Ali, that does sound slightly familiar. Are you sure you're not talking about yourself and Bella in one of those dance classes you took when we were all in elementary school?" I joked back at her, Alice had never in her life performed with anything less than her best, and Bella had point blank refused to take the stage for any performance. She participated in the classes, but would never dance where anyone might see her actually moving.

Finally landing at SeaTac, we made our way through to baggage claim. Alice immediately took charge of a luggage cart, weaving her way dangerously through the crowd, almost daring them to move in front of her. I had never seen anything quite like it, my tiny little angel careening that cart around with people darting this way and that to put as much distance as possible between themselves and her tear away cart. I had become quite proficient with my use of the crutches, but even I was having troubles keeping up with her racing through the airport towards the long-term parking lot.

Arriving back at her car, we loaded up our luggage. I knew from our conversations that she didn't need to worry about any of her things from her apartment, as Rose and Jake had packed them all up and arranged for them to be sent back to Forks for her. We only had to organize ourselves and the bags that I had brought on the plane, so once we were settled in, we set off for Forks.

The trip was vastly different from the last time we were in her car together. The excited chatter as we discussed our plans for the future was in vivid contrast to the stilted silence on our trip to the airport all those years ago. I knew that I didn't have to make any decisions quickly with regards to going back to school and earning my teaching degree. Beyond purchasing a house, the money I had inherited from Pops would allow me some leeway in settling in to a new life with Ali.

"This is so exciting, Jazz, we're going to be living in the same town again! Edward and Bella are going to be home soon too. Can you believe they are getting married in a few weeks? I just can't get over how so many things have changed. In a way it feels like we've only been gone a few weeks, but it's been 4 years!" Alice gushed, I could see her mind running a million miles a minute, her mouth trying valiantly to keep up. She really didn't require responses to any of her questions, so I simply basked in the warmth of her voice and companionship.

The feeling of homecoming upon arriving back in Forks was intense, Ali dropped me off at home first. Mom was out the front door as soon as she heard the car in the drive, and hugging me as soon as I had freed myself from the passenger seat. We managed to get all of my belongings inside before Ali excused herself to head home to her Mom's place.

Ali and I settled back in quickly, she was able to find a position as a social worker locally, while I was lucky enough, having used some of my contacts from college, to find a job as a researcher for historical fiction. It wasn't ideal, but it would do until I was able to determine which graduate program I wanted to apply to, if that was still the goal I wanted to work towards.

The first few months we were home flew past in a bustle of Bella and Edward's wedding preparations, their actual wedding, and Ali and I settling into our respective new jobs. My cast eventually came off and I was given the all clear by my doctors. After purchasing the old Grady place, we spent many weekends at the house painting and generally sprucing the cottage up to suit our needs and tastes.

Bella and Edward's wedding was a simple affair, as per Bella's wishes. They had no attendants, and as little fanfare as could be managed. Bella was clothed in an elegantly restrained white dress that I was sure Alice had helped her pick out. Floating on clouds of joy we celebrated with the couple, and felt our own hopes rise with theirs. If they could sustain a relationship as long as they had through trials and tribulations, then there was definitely hope for us.

We took to being a couple like ducks to water. It was easy, effortless and scared the pants off me. Was it supposed to be this easy? Were we honestly not meant to fight about things? Important things that is. We had fought some stupid battles over what colors to paint the house, but I didn't mind any of those playful fights. When it came to the big decisions we mostly knew what the other was thinking from years of having been each others confidante.

The first night we really took a solid step into the world of coupledom was shortly after we had finished painting my new living room. We had just completed the final wall of the room and cleaning our equipment, when Ali's innocent desire to simply get cleaned up, quickly turned into something more.

"I can't stand being covered in all of this paint. I feel awful, I'm commandeering your shower until it's all been removed and I'm respectable again." With those words Ali took off for the shower, and disappeared before I could mention the fact that she had no clean clothes here.

I merely waited until she had finished with her shower and realized that she had nothing to put on. I expected that she'd holler for me to find something of mine for her to wear, but my Ali had other ideas. She appeared in my bedroom clad only in the towel that I had set out in the bathroom for her.

"Jazzy, I seem to have forgotten that I would need clean clothes after my shower. Any chance you have something for ..." She trailed off as she noticed the expression on my face. I can only imagine how I looked, as the desperate need that had engulfed me swept across my features. She only paused for a moment before advancing on me; all fluid, sensual movement. By the time she reached me, I was rock hard and hoping like hell that she planned to act on it.

My diminutive goddess reached up to trail her fingers from my hairline down my cheek, along my jaw, and swept her fingers across and slightly up to my mouth before removing them altogether. Her hand moved to grasp the bottom of my painting shirt and she pulled it up, struggling to reach high enough to get it off.

"Help a girl out here, hun, I can't reach up over your head." The sultry tone of her voice had me swiftly pulling the shirt completely over my head for her, and throwing it in the general direction of the laundry hamper. With my shirt gone, I pulled Ali close to press my lips to her forehead, afraid of pushing too far in the heat of the moment. Dropping kisses down her face until I finally reached her lips, I pressed mine lightly against hers in a kiss too gentle to throw fuel on the fire.

"I love you, Alice. I know we've said it before, but I just wanted to make sure that you knew that before we go any further," I told her earnestly. I needed her to understand that above all, I craved our emotional closeness.

"Jasper, you worry too much. I love you and I always will." Her ardent reply caused relief to flood outward from my chest, and I released the breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding.

Exploring the skin not hidden by the towel, I enjoyed teasing her with light touches and kisses. However, she suddenly took control by undoing my fly, pulling hard enough on my old jeans to have them at my feet in seconds. She followed that up by tugging on the knot that held her towel together. My sweet, perfect angel was finally exposed to me, and I was like a kid in a candy store with no idea where to start. Lifting and cradling her against my chest, I gently laid her on the bed in order to commence my proper worship of her.

Fanning kisses and touches over her perfect breasts, down over her ribs to the promised land, I found myself admiring the sexy little sighs, sobs and grunts I was drawing from her. Finding her erogenous zones became my most important goal for the day. Swirling my tongue around her clit to gather her taste, I pushed her the last few feet into oblivion, rolling my eyes up to watch her dissolve. It was the most glorious sight I had ever seen. I thought that Alice on a stage was a sight to behold, but that was nothing compared to the radiance as she reached orgasm.

As soon as she came down, Ali reached for me, guiding me onto my back. She removed my boxer briefs, covered my cock in a condom, and then slid down onto my length. Her every movement was intended to entice and enhance. It felt like she was writing her love into my skin with her touch. Ali ran her hands across my chest, down to my stomach, and then back up to my shoulders. The leisurely pace she had begun with soon gave way to a thundering sprint in which we melted into one another. She collapsed to my chest, covering me with her slight form, until I rolled us to our sides and tucked her into my body. It felt like she had been made to fit there. That was the first of many nights that Ali stayed in my new house with me.

One Friday, I walked Ali home following an evening at my house. We made our way up on to the porch swing and she stretched across its length with her head in my lap. I gathered my courage, realizing that it was silly to keep waiting.

"Babe, I was wondering if you'd consider moving into the house with me? We've set it up together, and you've had just as much say as I have in what has gone where, the only thing really missing from that house is you. What do you say?" While I knew that Ali had definitely helped me to transform the house, and she was happy with the house as it was, I was still worried that she may not yet be ready to take that step with me.

"Jasper, of course I'll move in with you, I thought you'd never ask! When should we start moving my stuff?" I could see the gleam in her eye, but wasn't sure whether it was the wicked flash she often got when she was about to tease me mercilessly, or whether she had a tear in her eye. The light was never all that good on that front porch. Alice brushed her hands over her eyes, and moved to sit up. I pulled her across the seat to me, and held her close.

Rocking back and forth in that swing with my girl in my lap, I knew that we could really plan the rest of our lives together. Our first steps together as a couple hadn't been plagued with doubt, simply because we had known each other so well for such a long time. It was only natural that we could make the adjustments to life as a couple the way we had managed almost everything else together, with little fuss or fanfare.

Mrs. Brandon had been so happy that we had finally managed to become a couple, that when Alice announced that she would be moving in with me her only comment was, "About damn time! I thought for sure you wouldn't last two weeks in that house before little Alice here was living with you." She had always been one of our biggest champions.

The actual moving in process took far less time for Alice than it had for me, mainly because my things had been moved a little at a time while we renovated the house. Moving her was a matter of a Saturday morning's work. Loading her car and my truck with her possessions, we were able to move all of her belongings in two very loaded trips.

Living with Alice was an experience. As much as I loved to rise early and greet the day, she still took at least one cup of coffee before she was coherent enough to talk to. Her dancing clothes and shoes took over the spare bedroom, and she still got me to paint her toenails as often as she could get away with. She had planted a wonderful herb garden in pots around our back door, and had cultivated something of a cottage garden in the front yard, her only request of me was that I put in a porch swing of our very own. The quaint little house that I had bought was coming together as a home... _our _home_.__  
_  
While we settled into our own life together, it seemed that everyone we knew was pairing off. We received a party invitation divulging that Rose and Jake had eloped to Vegas. And for a few months after that it seemed that each time we picked up a paper someone we knew was in the announcements section; people from high school or college were either getting married or having children. It certainly felt like we were all embarking on a new stage of our lives.

When Alice read the announcement in the paper that Seth had married Lucy, a girl that they had known in college, it was like a weight had been lifted from her. She worried for quite some time that she had damaged him in a way that he may never recover from, and this proof that she hadn't, gave her a measure of relief that I hadn't known that she needed. I didn't worry about Maria; she was always more than capable of taking care of herself. As I had learned, her main goal in life was to always look out for her own well-being.

By the following spring, Alice and I had our little routines down pat. On Sunday mornings I would grab the paper from the porch, make us each a cup of coffee and go back to bed to laze with Alice in the warmth of it. She had taken a liking to my pajama tops as her own form of sleepwear, leaving me to wear the bottoms so that we looked like a matching pair. My tops being so long on her petite frame that they were like nightgowns.

One particular Sunday I had gotten a late start. I woke to find my sweet girl nuzzling into my neck; she had roused before me, a very rare occurrence. From the scent of coffee in the air she had also managed to make it out of bed and back without alerting me. The nibbling on my neck that eventually prodded me awake, also ensured that other parts of my anatomy were clamoring for attention before my eyes had even opened.

Alice nudged me until I was sitting up against the headboard, her kisses moving from my neck up to my mouth where our tongues tangled in a duet of their own. I soon found myself with my pajama pants open and Alice straddling me. I undid the buttons on her shirt as we kissed, and found my hands warming her skin as we moved together in a rhythm as old as time. Swirling a finger around her clit I drove Ali towards her peak, finally allowing my own release as soon as she began her descent.

Hugging her close to me, our bare chests pressed together and the heavy scents of sex and coffee in the air, I could glimpse our future lives. It was as though I was being granted a peek into the flashes that Alice often saw, of tears and triumphs in this bed of ours. The creation of new life, nursing a baby, caring for each other through sickness, fights and tears, but most of all I could see an all-encompassing love that would see us through the years.

I pressed kisses into her exposed collar bone, swift sweet kisses that moved from the apex up to her ear, I had to ask while the emotions were overwhelming me and I might have a chance of conveying how much she meant to me.

"Alice, I have no words to describe how much you mean to me. You are the best and brightest parts of my life. We have shared so much of our pasts, and I simply can't imagine a future that doesn't include you. Every time I try to picture what I want out of the rest of my life all I can see is you. You are all that I want. Mary Alice Brandon, would you do me the honor of marrying me?" My voice was low and husky with emotion.

For the first time ever, my sweet nymph was speechless. Her eyes huge and tearing up, she nodded, leaned forward and whispered a repeat of the most wonderful words I had ever heard.

"Yes, Jasper, yes, a million times yes."

The End.

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**A/N. **Again I must thank the team who beta and preread for me. **Britpacksuccubus** (who went above and beyond, working on this during Thanksgiving for me), **cravingtwilight**, **miztrezboo** and **Nostalgicmiss**. Each of these talented ladies has helped me to finish this story in one way or another and I'm so glad to call them my friends. Please go and check them out, they all have some wonderful stories to offer and are up in my favorites.

Thanks also to those of you who have read and reviewed my story, each and every review has made me so happy.

Finally, to read the rest of the entries, please go to the Lyrical Melodrama Story Contest C2 on the website/forum www(dot)thewriterscoffeeshop(dot)com.


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